Singleton Fontenoy, R.N.

a I E) R.AFLY

OF THE
UNIVERSITY
or ILLINOIS

V. I

7

/ S

X

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

By JAMES HANNAY,

(LATE OP HER MAJESTY'S NAVY.)

AUTHOR OP "sketches IN ULTRA-MARINE," ETC.

Employons h nous rendre bons et heureux le temps qu'ils perdent a cherclier
comment on doit I'fitre, et proposons-nous de grands examples h. imiter plut6t
que de vains systfemes h suivre.

J'ai toujours cru que le bon n'etait que le beau mis en action.

Rousseau.

IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. I.

LONDON:
HENRY CO LB URN, PUBLISHER,

GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1850.

LONDON :
FRTNTEl) BY HARRISON AND SON,

ST. martin's lane.

82.3
y. I

CD

O
—J
CO

^.r

o

u

^

1

^

•^

^

JOSEPH ARCHER CROWE, ESQ.,

LO THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED,

IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF MUCH KINDNESS,

AND

AS A TESTIMONY OF SINCERE FRIENDSHIP.

J. H.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N,

9Soo6 1.

THE DREAMER.

Often we would condole over the hard destiny of
the young in this era : how after all our toil, we were
to be turned out into the world ^^' * ^' * no existing
thing that we were trained to Act on, nothing that we
could so much as Believe.

Thomas Carlyle's " Sartor Resartus," p. 1 37.

VOL. I.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

CHAPTER I.

Malheur a qui du fond de I'exil de la vie,
Entendit ces concerts d'un monde qu'il envie,
Du nectar ideal sitot qu'elle a goute,
La nature repugne a la realite. a

Lamartine.

Our story opens in a quiet and solemn
chamber — the library of a country house, in
one of the northern counties of England. The
time is the close of the year 183 — . The
mellow sunlight of an autumn morning floats,
"with a colour like old gold, into the room,
touches up, as it were with the hand of a
master, a portrait by somebody who knew how
to make sallowness sublime, illuminates the
Tellum, and adorns the calf.

b2

4 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

Into this apartment tlierc ^valked, on the
morning in question, a man apparently about
thirtj-five years of age. He was dressed in
black clothes, imperfectly brushed, and a white
neckcloth, clumsily put on. His face was at
once coarse and thoughtful ; his manner awk-
wardly dignified; his eyes were grey and very
vivid, but had a vacant kind of look occa-
sionally, from his habit of mental abstraction.
As he walked you became aware of a slight
deficiency in his gait.

"Mr. Trochee — the Reader!"

"The 'Reader— Mr. Trochee!"

Having duly introduced him, I may add
that he appeared in this library as tutor to the
family of Mr. Fontenoy of Heatherby, which at
this time consisted only of one son, a youth
still in his teens. Mr. Trochee was what
Dr. Johnson called a " sound, sullen scholar,"
and sprang from a genealogical tree which
might fairly be called a tree of knowledge,
from the number of pedagogues it had pro-
duced. He had a clear head, and no in-
considerable command of that cld-f£.sIiioned
catapult kind of sarcasm so much in vogue

SINGLETOK FONTENOY, R.N. 5

during the last century. He was indeed ex-
emplary in his way; and if you had asked him
what religio was, he would have replied at
once that it was a choriambus!'"'

He now found the library empty, but he
established himself very comfortably at the
table with some "scribbling paper" and a
book, and in a short time was in the land of
day-dreams.

A small door opened noiselessly at a corner
of the room, opposite to the side at which he
had entered. He did not look up, and conse-
quently did not see the figure which glided in —
that of a youth just growing out of boyhood —
a youth somewhat " tall for his age," and cer-
tainly handsome for any age. Singleton Charles.
Fontenoy had a sHm, graceful figure, pleasing
in movement, and elegant in repose, which
somehow reminded you of a Persian greyhound.
His features were classically handsome, and
rather dark ; but this last effect was agreeably
relieved byblue eyes, which contrasted pleasantly
with his very black curly hair and eyebrows.

* Viz. thus scanned — Religw : apparently all some
learned men know about it.

6 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

The countenance seemed fitted to express
courage and decision, but there lingered upon
it that shyness which usually accompanies pre-
mature thought and early earnestness; which
indeed is but the expression of the confusion
of that Eve the soul when it begins to be
conscious of its exposure in a strange world,
and which Rochefoucauld pronounces pre-
ferable to the easy assurance of modish young
men.

Singleton, almost immediately on his entry,
took hold of the light ladder which rested
against the shelves, to the upper of which it
was intended to give access (it was a true
Jacob's ladder to him), and proceeded to
adjust it with an obvious design on a burly
quarto.

As he placed his foot on the lowest step,
he glanced round at Mr. Trochee with a
curious expression half inquiring, and half
contemptuous. The tutor's eyes were fixed
immoveably on his book. Singleton moved
upwards to grasp the object of his desires.
He had placed the ladder rather carelessly, and
ascended it so also, — when — unhappy type of

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 7

the fate of many seekers after knowledge ! —
he slipped and fell. The quarto, clutched
with eager hand at the moment, thundered
down after him, inflicting as it did so, a slight
graze on his right temple.

Singleton burst into a loud laugh as he
sprung to his feet, and standing upright met
the glance of the astonished tutor, scared by
the unwonted noise.

" It's really yery odd,^' said Mr. Trochee,
peevishly, " that every thing you do, appears
to be accompanied by a disturbance !"

" Very," said the boy, pouting with his fine
lip in a sulky manner. Mr. Trochee rose and
placed the ladder in what he emphatically
called " its proper place.''

" Knocking the books about," he continued,
while Singleton rubbed his forehead with a
white pocket handkerchief, diffusing as he did
so an odour of violets which more and more
irritated our scholastic friend, who would
wilUngly have handed over all who used per-
fumes to the prosecution of the Sanitary
Commission, — " neglecting your proper studies
to run after works with which you have no

8J SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

business! — where are jour Latin hexameters?
where is your Greek prose 1"

The youth made no answer, but the dark
pupils of his blue eyes distended, and his
breathing grew short and quick. He continued
to rub his forehead.

"Come, come,'' said Mr. Trochee, "your
head stood it pretty well, I have no doubt I
Let us get to work/'

" I tell you what," said Singleton, drawing
himself up, with an air of weariness and anger,
" I am tired of this — tired of reading and
hearing about what I do not admire or love;
tired of pedantry, and sick of being haunted
by the ghosts of the • dead from day to day.
I am tired of a process of study which can
only be compared to that whim of Byron's —
drinking out of a skull!"

Mr. Trochee opened his mouth in astonish-
ment.

" None of your darling ideas seem to be
gOYorning mankind," added the youth.

" Go on, Scaliger," cried Mr. Trochee. (This
was his notion of irony.)

" I wonder at the coolness with which you

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 9

can hunt out words in a dictionary," pursued
Singleton, " when you know the state of the
poor in this very county.''

" Bravo, Scioppius ! My dear boy,'' said
the tutor, compassionately, "I see that you
have been led away by the popular vagaries
of the day. All the evils which provoke your
learned indignation are attributable to one
simple cause. — But here's your father."

In came, as he spoke, a tall and rather
stout gentleman, between forty and fifty years
of age, dressed in a flowing morning gown,
and looking very magnificent about the throat.
His manner combined the serenity of middle
age with the dignity of a county magistrate !
He bowed I graciously to Mr. Trochee and his
son. He usually, indeed, treated his son with
much deference ; not on the score of that
youth's own merits, but because he was his
son. But Mr. Fontenoy demands a few lines
of description. His was a character which,
belonging to a common enough class, must
yet be repeatedly illustrated till it is
thoroughly understood.

Mr. Fontenoy thought religion — 'twas his

10 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

highest conception of it — a useful engine of
state. In his own life, instead of a blessing
to himself, it was used rather as a means of
annoying other people.

Mr. Fontenoy went to church — and, at the
name of his Redeemer, bowed — a la Talley-
rand I

Mr. Fontenoy would attend the funeral of
one of his tenants with all the pomp of
yeomanry, and haying had an imposing salute
fired over his grave, to-day, would put an
execution in the house of his widow to-
morrow.

Mr. Fontenoy preserved his game most
rigidly. However, we shall see more of him
as we go on.

" You were saying something, I think 1"
he asked Mr. Trochee.

" I was just telling your son, sir, that all
the evils of Europe" — Mr. Fontenoy drew
himself up, with a judicial air — " are attri-
butable to one cause, — the intrusion into
political life of half-read men,'' This was
Mr. Trochee^s favourite term of contempt, and
one which he frequently launched at the

SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N. 11

heads of the agitators of the neighbouring
town of Huskdale, where there is a great
manufactory of cotton and charges against
the Established Church. The calm and vast
simplicity of the proposition duly impressed
Mr. Fontenoy; he glanced at his son, who bit
his lips, and said nothing.

" What gave rise to the conversation V*
" I am afraid Singleton has been acquiring
some crude notions," answered Trochee. At
that moment, a short, sharp shower pattered
against the windows, a few fitful gusts of wind
whirled past the leaves as they were driven
from the trees to a violent death. Mr. Fon-
tenoy rushed to look out, feeling a pang of
terror about the greenhouse, and after ex-
claiming, with an air of importance "this
will try PeeFs Currency Bill !" — a dictum per-
fectly unintelligible to Singleton — left the
room.

All this time, the quarto which had fallen,
had been reposing tranquilly on the floor. Mr.
Trochee now picked it up, and proceeded to
look at the title page.

12 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

" Why, what is tliisl" he asked, angrily.
" What are you doing with this V*

Singleton blushed, looked confused, and
muttered something about " both sides of the
question."

" Sir," said Mr. Trochee, " you are too
young yet for such writers as Bolingbroke ! "

When the son of a landed proprietor begins
to read Bolingbroke, and talk • about the poor,
it is quite clear that something desperate must
be done. Mr. Trochee had a long secret
consultation with Mr. Fontenoy that evening.
" I will send him to school," said his parent.
To check a tendency towards intellectual spe-
culation, what could haye been better 1 It
was resolved upon. Mr. Trochee received a
handsome and honourable dismissal soon after,
and proceeded to London. He found himself
thoroughly tired of teaching people, and there-
fore set up as a writer for the • Review,

by doing which, he effectually secured himself
from the possibility of instructing anybody !

And Singleton meanwhile stayed at home,
and read whatever he liked, while his father

SINGLETON FONTENOY, U.K. 13

was looking out for an appropriate school.
The blue ejes were dim with poring over
black and white. Singleton was just then in
an intellectual crisis. He had begun to doubt
the infallibility of Paley, and had not yet
met with the writings of Oarlyle !

14 SINGLETON FONTBTOT, R.N.

CHAPTER II.

.... Rarum hoc in adolescentibus nostris : nam
quotusquisque vel setati alterius vel auctoritati, ut
minor, cedit? Statim sapiunt ; statim sciunt omnia :
neminem verentur ; imitantur neminem ; atque ipsi
sibi exempla sunt 1

Pliny the Younger, Ep. viii. 23.

..... Rare tbis in our young men : for how often
does any one of them yield either to the age or the
authority of another, as his junior ? They grow wise,
at once : know everything at once : reverence nobody,
imitate nobody ; and are, themselves, their own
models ! /

The Lepels had arrived! The Lepels were
at Dunreddin! The Lepels were going to
give a ball! Such was the news which Mr.
Fontenoy's county welcomed with enthusiasm.
Such, too, opens the prospect of a lively chap-

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 15

ter to the author, entertaining a natural dread
of the growing number of readers, who, the
moment they come to the word Virtue, skip ;
who only patronise writers who convey heart-
lessness in epigrams, as Hannibal carried
poison in a brilliant ring.

The Lepels had been a long time abroad,
and were now about to settle down perma-
nently in their family mansion, — one of those
imposing structures, combining the dignity of
age with the grace of colour, which take their
name from Queen Elizabeth, tp When you
gazed at it, from the broad plains, shaded
with noble trees, in which it was situated—
when your eye rested on its stately elevation,
and the proud escutcheon graven in front —
the antique windows — the raised terrace,
bounded by the graceful balustrade — you
even wondered how people could leave it for
a palace on the Grand Canal or a villa on the
Bay of Naples. Probably Mr. Lepel's lawyers
could have enlightened you on the point ; but
at this time all was right with the family.
The estates were not more encumbered than
was sufficient to show that the family had

16 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

made good alliances. All tins was very
agreeable to Mr. Fontenoj, their neighbour.
A link of relationship had joined, in a past
age, the two houses, in a way near enough to
be interesting, and Mr. Fontenoj and Mr.
Lepel had been intimate associates in their
youth.

Singleton was at the ball, although some
very good judges thought it wrong that so
mere a boy should "go out.'^ But this was
not the opinion of all ; for those who looked
at him saw that he was handsome, and those
who talked to him found that he was clever.
Little Miss Pierrepoint — whom the young
Lepel who was a wit used to call Sweet
P. — pronounced him quite a man, asked him
why he never came over to Pierrepoint, and
said that Heatherby was a very pretty place.
So, indeed, it was; and perhaps that young
lady thought upon the subject more than she
spoke. Singleton was pleased, shy, confused,
and dreamy, perhaps a little sad. He saw
all the county people, of whose titles and
places he had so often heard before. Mr.
Lepel, wishing to ascertain if he had " am-

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 17

bition/' asked him if he would like to have a
commission in the Yeomanry! Then he
danced with Augusta Lepel, a girl who had
brought away from Italy, in her own person,
a face by Guido and a figure by Correggio ;
whose tall form undulated gracefully as she
moved, like a palm branch carried in a sacred
procession, and whose fine forehead and cheeks
seemed to be always blushing, as if they were
ashamed of being so pretty! Pier eyes
watched him, as he left her and sauntered
down the room, and engaged in conversation
with some young gentlemen from Oxford.
They had been there to " finish their educa-
tion !" Poor boys! They did not know that
they had not begun it !

Singleton was leaning at one side of the
room by himself, in a fit of meditation, watched
by a dumpy little girl who wondered why he
did not ask her to dance. A youth approached
him, in whom he recognized the young Lepel
to whom he had been introduced. He had
just come of age, and was of rather striking
appearance. His features were sharp and of
great mobility, expressive of the most decided

VOL. I, c

18 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

sagacity and energy ; and his forehead some-
what remarkable by the prominence of the
ridge over the eyes, ^yhich phrenologists pro-
nounce an evidence of the strength of the
perceptive faculties. Singleton could not help
thinking it a pity that so good a face should
be spoiled by spectacles. He would have been
surprised if he had known why they were worn.
Lepel was a youth of ambition, and there were
many peculiarities about him which his friends
were a long time in learning to understand.
He now commenced a brisk conversation with
Singleton, and struck out some rapid, lively
sketches of the life which he had seen on the
Continent. He was very entertaining and
agreeable, partly from his keen and playful
satire, partly from his ingenious flattery.
This last was original; he would praise a
beauty for her wit, and a genius for his beauty.

" You will devote yourself now to England,
I suppose, and begin your career?" said Sin-
gleton.

" Career ! oh yes, I suppose so ! but what
is an unpretending man to do, now-a-days V

" Politics r

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 19

" Ah ! I should be out of place in such
matters I"

" What is in its place, now, I should like
to knowf' asked Singleton, with a yawn.

" Nothing,'' replied Lepel, sharply. " This
is a manufacturing country, with agricultural
institutions/'

" A neat phrase for an address to the
Electors of Huskdale," his companion said,
with a smile.

Lepel laughed, and was very friendly.
" We must see a good deal of each other, my
dear Singleton," he said, looking very intently
in his face, and he had a way of doing this
which was a flattery in itself. Then he sud-
denly seized him by -the arm. " Look here,
my boy !"

" Who^ what?"

" Hush ! Colonel Bray, knew him at Paris,
on a visit in the neighbourhood. My dear
Colonel !" cried the quick Lepel. They were
joined at that moment by two people. Colonel
Bray and his wife, who marched towards them.
The Colonel was a tall, mihtary looking man,
with a large mouth and a narrow, retreating

c2

20 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

forehead. He had an appearance of decided
weakness. Some people would have thought
it ridiculous : to Singleton, it was painful,
for his organization was of a character which
entered into acute and intense sympathy with
everything and everybody. Where the mass
of people laughed at a person. Singleton
suffered for him. This temperament gave him
great quickness, but at the cost of great pain.
The Colonel came grinning up with his wife
on his arm. She was a great deal younger
than him ; a clever-looking, dark complexioned
little woman, with very black hair, and full,
purple mouth. She was certainly pretty, but
disagreeably pretty, at least, Fontenoy thought
so. Whether it was a certain sensuality in
her face, that conveyed the idea of ripeness
without bloom, or not, — he could not analyse
the impression at the instant; — but certainly,
he shrunk from her black eyes, decidedly, if
indefinably. Her husband came grinning up,
as I said, to the two youths, and Singleton
fancied that the wife blushed, as if annoyed
and ashamed. Singleton was morbidly acute,
as I have hinted, and he fancied again, that

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 21

that there was something peculiar in that
blush, and that it was excited bj a glance of
LepeFs.

" Ah ! Colonel," said Lepel, " glad to see
you. We're going to have a great review of
the Yeomanry soon — national defences, eh V

" National defences'' was the poor Colonel's
hobby. His was the vast mind which started
the " Anti-Julius-CsesariBm Society," — a body
organized for the purpose of arming everybody,
for fear we should be destroyed for ever, if
our continental friends equipped a tremendous
army — if they maintained it — if they could
get ships for it — if it crossed the Channel — if
we had no navy — if there were no gales — if
&c. &c.

Lepel introduced Fontenoy, and added that
he was interested in the subject. And then
he led off the Colonel's wife to dance ; and it
seemed to Singleton that there was a certain
air of sarcasm which might have been spared
in his manner, and that the couple looked
back with a certain air of gay triumph at
them, as they walked off.

On went the dance — grace keeping time

22 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

mth melody, as the body with the soul.
Singleton gazed upon that brilliant company,
and sighed ; and there was poetry in that
sigh. Ah ! if the moon's rays had but souls,
what melancholy would they feel, in some
scenes where they shine the brightest. Happy
rays that have no soul !

Half the world think they have acquired
manner when they have learned to bore each
other with politeness. But to be bored, and
bear it with grace, — that is a rare accomplish-
ment ! Few people could tolerate the Colonel
— Singleton charmed him. He was so earnest
and so kindly, listened so patiently, understood
him so well I Only once or twice his eyes
wandered away to young Lepel and his
partner. How her eyes sparkled, and what
a flush !

On went the dance : — it was over. The
Colonel insisted upon taking Singleton to Mrs.
Bray : she was so fond of clever young men I
Singleton was left alone with her, for Lepel
had moved away. He began to feel that there
was a strange fascination about her. He had
lost his fluency of speech, and scarcely knew

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 23

what to saj. He noticed that she had a
bouquet Avhich he had not seen in her hand
before.

"A pretty bouquet that," Singleton said,
innocently.

The lady made a gesture ; the bouquet fell
— out popped a note !

Singleton's hand was on it in an instant, to
hide it. The lady gave a little, faint, timorous
cry, and fainted back on the bench. In an
instant there was a crowd round them —
" What's the matter ? How did it happen T
— and a great rush.

Singleton's nature seemed to have shot into
full growth in that instant. " Stand back 1"
he cried, almost fiercely, to the pressing mob.
" Air !'' He seized a smelling bottle. The
lady was revived by the powerful salts ; she
opened her eyes, and seemed as if she would
have spoken. By an impulse, Singleton
squeezed her hand hard. Thanks to the
cruelty, she said nothing, and in another
moment she recovered herself.

" Oh dear !" cried the Colonel, who had
come up at the disturbance. "My carriage

24 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

my carriage !" lie kept saying vaguely to people
round about him.

Lepel was soon tliere, with an unwonted
flush on his cheeks. The Colonel led away
his wife, who fixed her eyes on Singleton, as
she bowed good night to him, with an expres-
sion which he long remembered. Away went
the Colonel, so anxious about the defence of
the nation — so careless of himself !

The guests were preparing to go, and
Singleton was agitated and thoughtful. And
then, he had concealed the note !

Lepel came up to him.

" You are to stay here to-night. Singleton,"
he said, in a friendly, and rather excited tone.

" How so r

" Oh ! it's all right — do. Your father has
gone. They will send you whatever things
you want from Heatherby in the morning."

"Very well — ^you're very kind," Fontenoy
answered. He knew what this meant, and he
marked Lepel's agitation.

They ascended the stairs to his private
rooms ; there was a very comfortable fire
burning there. Frederick (that was his

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 25

Christian name) lighted a lamp, and began to
talk lightly away, to pnt himself at his ease.

" A regular Tusculum — eh, Singleton 1 See
— what a meerschaum ! This belonged to a
poor fellow I knew at Bonn — a great Radical.
He's in Spielberg now. Here are mj books.
Horace, you see : I like him. Gentlemen read
Horace 1 By the bye, how do yozc render simplex
munditiisf Quite nntranslateable, is'nt if?"
And he went on, turning over books and
pamphlets very nerYOusly and rapidly. " Here's
the best novel in the English language, ' Trist-
ram Shandy,' — a copy with Sterne's autograph
in it. Fine bold sharp hand he wrote, didn't
he r Then he ran off a few of Shelley's
lines : —

Arethusa arose

From her fountain of snows, —

and came to a dead stop. Singleton was
nervous, silent, and embarrassed.

" That was a strange affair," Lepel began,
looking up into Fontenoy's eyes, in his peculiar
way.

Fontenoy's eyes dropped.

"It was lucky you were the person it

26 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

happened to. You are young, but wise."
Fontenoj remained silent.

" It may be talked about. People will ask
questions, but men of the world know how
to deal with them. Tliej know how to
answer !"

" Not how to lie !" said Singleton, drawing
himself up proudly.

LepeFs pale face flushed. " Nobody lies, of
course. At least, nobody allows any one to
tell him so ! — This pure world," he added, with
a bitter sneer, " makes the distinction^ and
dubs it Honour!"

" Lepel," said Singleton, *' let us be candid
with one another. I have discovered a secret
of yours, in a most painful way. But I have
nothing to do with it, but to regret and forget
it. I am no moralist, I am sorry to say, but
I love virtue as I love flowers, or a blue sky.
It is sweeter to see, and purer to mix with. —
Come, come,'^ added Fontenoy, smiling kindly,
and looking very pleasing, as he deserved to
do, from his good intentions, — " behold a
juvenile Mentor ! Let us devote this little
white creature to the infernal gods!" — Here,

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 27

he pulled out the fatal note. " Let us put it
in the fire I"

Lepel started, as he saw it, — then laughed.
" Be it so ! You are my good Genius."

Thej dropped the note into the flames,
where it perished in an instant.

" So dies a martyr !" said Lepel, gaily. —
And they dropped the subject.

Lepel then rang the bell, and with the
promptitude of the slaves of the lamp, a
servant brought up some supper, and at this
very late banquet, they were joined by some
Oxonians who were guests at the house.
There was a lively gentleman from Exeter, a
dandy from Christ Church, and two speculative
youths from Oriel.

"This is the eve of St. Kilderkin,'^ said
Bones, of Oriel.

" Indeed," said Lepel, " what did he do V

" He built an abbey."

" Did he pay for it ?" asked Lepel.

" This is an age without Faith," said Bones?
opening a pie.

" And without the divine element, at all/*

28 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

said his fcUow-stiident of Oriel, pouring out
some hock.

Fontenoy looked curiously up. Something
of this sort had floated through his serious
mind, at times. He had begun to feel the
want of the age; — a sense of loneliness in
life's journey had visited him occasionally.
He turned to Mr. Bones.

"You express ideas, I have sometimes
thought of," he said. " This absence of Faith
— do you think it merely temporary, or the
natural result of the exhaustion of traditions,
and the prelude to a new organization of
spirituality ?''

" Exhaustion of traditions !" exclaimed
Bones, pausing horrified, in the dissection of
a partridge, and holding the entire bird on his
fork, suspended in air. — " God bless me !
Read St. Kilderkin, born a.d. 960, died a.d.
1019! We have published him in ten folio
volumes." — Here Bones made a motion to
cross himself, and the bird tumbled on his
plate.

"Hang all mysticism," said the Christ
Church man, comprehensively. " Stick to the

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 29

good old school. I'm for our regular institu-
tions, and God save the King!"

"Science has destroyed credulity," said
Lepel, " and reason has put down fanaticism.
Organise labour and increase production, and
let those who want ' spirituality' pay for it, if
they like."

The time-piece on the mantel-piece struck
five.

30 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

CHAPTER III.

. Who knows not Circe 1

COMUS,

It was the eyening after the ball. Singleton
was sauntering down the main street of Husk-
dale. He had ridden over on a mission from
Miss Lepel, who wanted some tickets for a
sacred concert. Huskdale is a manufacturing
town, but it combines the most opposite
characteristics, and may be said to be in a
state of permanent civil war. It returns one
Chartist and one Protectionist to Parliament;
it has a high and dry rector, and an Anti-
State-Ohurch Association ; it has a Mechanics'
Institute, and an Archery Club; it has a

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 31

church with an organ and a painting, and a
common for a field congregation. It ought to
have a temple of Janus, and most assuredly, if
it had, its doors would neyer be closed !

It was within an hour of sunset, and the
chill breezes of the twilight time were begin-
ning to creep about. Troops of little factory
girls were hastening from their dreary prisons
to their dreary homes, divided into knots and
twining their arms round each other's necks,
in unconscious imitation of the wild flovyers
which they never see! The bells of one or
two chapels were noisily beating the air.
Singleton enjoyed all that he saw, as he went
along, and swung about in his hand a big
bunch of the last roses of the year, which he
had bought for the purpose of scenting some
of his favourite books with the leaves.

He had turned round a corner, and was
proceeding towards the inn, where he had put
up his pony, when he heard a sharp tapping
against a window which made him involun-
tarily start suddenly and look round, (for he
mused rather absently as he walked, after the
manner of idealists in general,) but not seeing

32 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

what had caused it, he marched forward again.
He had, perhaps, gone another hundred yards,
when a figure came running up behind him.
Turning round, a young girl almost ran against
him ; her bonnet had fallen back, her hair was
dishevelled, her cheeks flushed. Our young
friend was embarrassed.

In the presence of Cleopatra, Singleton
would have been easy and graceful; in the
presence of the young lady's-maid, who now
spoke to him, he was awkward and shy.

" I beg your pardon, sir," said the damsel,
growing more confused in her turn (she did
not expect to find him so good-looking), " my
mistress wishes to see you."

"Who?"

" A friend of yours, sir," she said. There
was something very modest in her manner;
so Singleton intimated that he would attend
her. Otherwise, he abominated intrigue, and
everything that had the look of it.

They stopped at the door of a handsome
enough house. He went up stairs to the
drawing-room, and found there — Mrs. Colonel
Bray !

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 33

She was sitting upon a sofa as he came in,
and rose up to receive him as the door closed.
There was a slight agitation in her manner
which was very graceful. Singleton bowed.
He began again to feel the fascination of her
presence. The air seemed warmer in it !

" What must jou think of mel" she said,
in a pretty little tremor, and with a slightly
foreign accent, which Fontenoy had not before
noticed. " How kind you were ! What tact,
what grace you showed!^' Here she clasped
her little white hands together in an oratorical
manner. " You so young, too ! It was genius I
It was inspiration !''

Singleton did not entertain so high an
opinion of his last night's exploit, and he
could not help smiling. The fair Circe (such
was her classic name) was wonderfully put at
her ease by it. She continued, "I am very
unhappy ! We women are sacrificed by a
false society. They sell us, and violate na-
ture's harmonies. The fair ought to be given
only to the young!" Here Circe looked ten-
derly at Singleton and adjusted her heavy
black hair. Singleton was modest, virtuous,

VOL. I. D

34 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

and high principled ; he was also young, and
" tall for his age."

Just then there was a great noise on the
stairs. " Oh, del,'' exclaimed Circe ; " The
Colonel comes ! Perfidious man ! He said he
would not be in till nine ! Let me hide jou
here," and slie opened a door.

"No," said Singleton, and in came the
Colonel.

" How are jou, sir?" said Singleton, quietly,
and with a facility of manner which, under
the circumstances, raised him very much in
Circe's estimation. "I just came in to see
how Mrs. Bray was ; she seemed ill last
night."

" Ah, poor thing," said the gallant Colonel,
" she has these delicate attacks sometimes."
Circe blushed, and stole a glance at Fontenoy,
who looked very grave.

" My dear," said the Colonel, " let us have
lights. I never saw such a person for sitting
in the dark. Now, Fontenoy, you shall see
my maps. Here is Dover."

They formed quite a family picture. There
sat the Colonel with a map and a pair of

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 35

compasses, with tlie patient Singleton listen-
ing to him. The fair Circe was opposite,
with a piece of embroidery, and before her
lay a little Yolume, published at Brussels. It
was a "philosophical" French novel, written
by a pure female enthusiast, and containing
the history of a young woman of superior
genius, who ran away from a great, monstrous,
moral Marquis, to whom she was' married,
with a divine galley-slave.

" A is the fort," said the Colonel ; " B is
the enemy's army in a flotilla ; C is our fleet
running away from the gun-boats ; D "

" Stands for dunce,'^ said the playful Circe.

" Mind your own work, my dear,'' said her
husband, gently. Circe resumed a love-scene,
between Adele and the tender forf at

" I am afraid it begins to get late," said
Singleton, looking at his watch.

" Oh, wait a little longer," said the Colonel.
« E "

A slight sound was perceptible in the street,
shortly afterwards. Circe blushed, as Fon-
tenoy looked up.

It was a musical instrunafint, and accom-

d2

36 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

pauied by a rather musical voice. Clearly it
was not an ordinary itinerary performer.

The Colonel was drawing a trigonometrical
figure, and wholly occupied with it. Single-,
ton's attention involuntarily wandered away,
as the music became more clearly audible.
He began to see that he was performing in a
Comedy, for the music was a serenade. Poor
Colonel !

Unfortunately for Circe it was a fine, clear,
still night ; so soon the following stanza was
audible : —

Cliarraer fair — should tliy fancy move thee,
Yet, to declare, that tliou dost not love me —
After all I have felt and spoken.
Would my faith, or only my heart be broken ?

"What's that cussed row'?" broke in the
Colonel, starting to his feet, while Circe jumped
up also, looking very angry and frightened.

" It's to the people in the other house," she
answered.

" It ain't tenanted," cried the Colonel, and
he ran to the window.

*' Save me again," whispered Circe, pressing
Singleton's hand. He seized his hat.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 37

« Good night, Colonel/' The Colonel ran
down after him. Singleton saAY a figure in
the street, retreating. He followed it, and
at a safe distance found Mr. Frederick Lepel.

" Why, hillo, Fontenoj."

"Oh, it's jou," said Singleton. "You
usually serenade people when their husbands
are in, do you V

" What, Mentor out on the loose,'' said
Lepel, with a facetious sneer. " Circe's been
trying her fascinations with you, eh '? I sup-
pose this is one of a series of 'philosophical
experiments ' of hers. Bravo ! Three cheers
for Madame ."

" What does all this mean?" asked Sin-
gleton.

" You'll know it all by and by. My boy,
you won't be a dreamer all your life ; or, if
you are, so much the worse for you. You
may write Romances, if you like, but let me
act them."

In these words, Lepel accurately and acutely
defined their respective characters. Singleton
said nothing, but fell into a fit of musing, and
they walked, without speaking, to the George

38 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. '

Inn, where their horses were. Singleton was
a mere boy ; but how fast he was growing.

The Colonel and his philosophical ladj left
Huskdale next day. I have touched very
lightly on the incident in Singleton's career
in which they figured. It was necessary to
influence his character and illustrate LepeFs.
This worthy couple now make their final exit
from these pages, — not, I trust, without having
borne testimony to the merits of their re-
spective schools. The husband may represent
certain alarmists, calculated to bring weak-
minded gentlemen to Bedlam ; the wife, cer-
tain philosophical teachers, who catch the
weak by their sweet and cloying diction, as
flies are caught by honey.

Europe is now invaded by a band of female
warriors, who sacrifice their feminine delicacy
for the sake of literary and political influence,
as the ancient Amazons seared their breasts
that they might handle the bow.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 39

CHAPTER IV.

Currite ducentes subtemina, currite, fusi.

Catullus, Car7n. 61.

Spin the Fates' threads, and mix them as you spin.

It was a beautiful autumn morning. The
sun was out, and Augusta Lepel was smiling !
A month had passed since Mr. Trochee's
departure, and jet not a word of Singleton's
going to school. Perhaps he owed the
parental forbearance to the kind influence of
old Mr. Lepel, one of the best and kindest
of men, though weak — paternally indulgent
to all the youth of his acquaintance, loviugly
fond of his wife and daughter, and exceedingly

40 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

proud (for which I am afraid we shall have
in due time to pitj him,) of his only son and
heir, the clever and ambitious Frederick.
Singleton, accordingly, was without an in-
structor— except Augusta, who taught him a
great deal. She was twenty-three, Singleton
not quite sixteen, but precocious, as we know.
She was highly gifted, and Singleton very
studious ; so he made great progress !

Out upon the terrace at Dunreddin, at
noon, were a large partj, enjoying the warm
rays, which needed all their power to temper
the naturally chilly air. Fonienoj ph^e, was
talking earnestly with old Mr. Lepel, and
glancing occasionally at Augusta, who was
interchanging light, gay dialogue with Single-
ton. What did this portend 1 The Oxonians
were gathered in a respectful semi-circle round
the lady of the house, and duly devoting
themselves to her entertainment. What a
beautiful morning !

" Now," cried Frederick Lepel ; " this is
what people call * completely English!' Here
we are, amusing ourselves and doing nothing
in the most comfortable manner, regardless

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 41

of the busy hum of yon town," pointing to
Huskdale, whose spires peeped above the
horizon, " and quite satisfied that we are the
finest people in the world."

'' Well, jour inference 1" asked Mr.
Bones.

" Oh, Fm too lazy to draw inferences this
fine day," said the lively Fred. "But is'nt
the picture characteristic ? By Jove, I believe
the English upper classes are the idlest people
in the world. We lounge over the sciences,
dawdle through literature, yawn over politics.
A revolution that convulses Europe is only
something new to * talk about ' to us, and a
movement that threatens the empire is con-
sidered nothing but 'a bore !' "

Mr. Fontenoy thought that a lively young
man was a standing insult to the gravity of
middle age, so he listened very coldly to
Frederick's speech. But Mr. Lepel was
highly pleased with him, and said,

" Well, Fred, you must show a good
example. Begin!"

" What a curious eflect the appearance of
the moon has at this hour!" remarked

42 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

Augusta, looking up at the pale crescent in
the blue sky.

" It is an emblem of Faith — paling before
the gross material splendour of the sun of
commerce/' said Mr. Bones.

" I carry a moon of that shape on my coat-
of-arms," said Mr. Fontenoy.

" It's very pretty," said Mrs. Lepel.

" How grateful we ought all to be, for our
blessings," said her husband.

" The moving moon went up the sky,"
quoted Singleton, from the "Ancient Mariner."

" She is very like green cheese," said
Frederick.

As he spoke, a servant appeared, and
handed him a newspaper that had just
arrived. He seized it eagerly and tore it
open ; it was the HusMale Courier, a leading
journal of the county in the liberal interest.
He turned over the pages, and uttered an
exclamation of delight.

" What is it V asked his father.

" The beginning ;" answered Frederick,
with his eyes brightening, while the whole
party gathered round him. " They meet

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 43

to-daj in Huskdale, to petition for 's

dismissal. Two mills have stopped. The
crops are bad — everything's in motion. Let
us go into town. Who'll go V

He turned round to them, with excitement
in his whole figure. Most of the young men
expressed their readiness for anything.

"Tm tired of the pheasants/' said Far-
quhar, the Christ Church man ; " anything
for a change."

"But, Fred,'' said Mr. Lepel, "have you
made up your mind — be cautious, you know."

" Oh, yes," he replied ; " mind quite made
up — packed with principles as neatly as a
carpet bag. But there's no time to lose.
Fll order the phaeton ;" and away he went,
followed by all the youths of the party.

" Singleton," cried Mr. Fontenoy to his
son ; " you will be very careful what you do
if you please. Remember, I am in the com-
mission of the peace ; I have no wish to see
a "Wilkes in our family."

Augusta looked rather anxious as they left,
and hung on her mother's arm ; Mr. Lepel
talked merrily about the buoyancy of youth.

44 SINGLETON" TONTENOY, R.N.

Mr. Fontenoj was sulkj. The women ex-
pressed their kind natural sympathies. The
youths drove off.

The town of Huskdale was agitated to
the depth of its dark abysses. It was now
drawing towards the close of one of those
unfortunate years which intervened between
the Reform Bill and the formation of the
Conservative Government. A bad harvest had
followed a bad harvest. There was a depres-
sion in commerce, and this was succeeded by
the moral miasma which always rises from
stagnant trade. Wanting food, the masses
resorted to agitation, and talked of principles,
while Government was thus hampered with
the double task of relief and resistance. In
this predicament the country looked alter-
nately at riots and at cabinet councils ; and
the question seemed to resolve itself into
Hunger and Dragoons.

Lepel's party rattled gaily into the town,
which was all alive with emotion. There,
marched troops of mechanics along the pave-
ments, talking to each other, some with
earnest gestures, others laughing, with the

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 45

devil-maj-care desperation of men who knew
that all this would end in no relief. Some
of the shops were closed ; at the doors of
others, white-aproned tradesmen were stand-
ing, and looking out at the passers-bj. Small
bodies of police defiled quicklj, but quietly,
down the pavements, carefully avoiding the
gaze of the populace; a detachment of soldiers
were in barracks, under arms, near the scene
of the intended meeting. 'Twas altogether
a grand constitutional spectacle — the town
of Huskdale that afternoon ; yet, strange to
say, the effect of the whole was lively and
cheerful. A day of grievances is always a
gala day for Huskdale.

The phaeton, drawn by a couple of neat
greys, drove up the main street. Suddenly
Lepel drew up by the kerb, flung the reins to
Farquhar, and jumped out. They saw him
run into some place there, and looking up at
the house, observed "Huskdale Courier" in
large letters above the first floor windows.

" I say," said Farquhar to Fontenoy, "What
is he going to do there 1 Radical paper the
* Courier,' ain't iti I don't mind a lark,

46 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

jou know, but we must not have any
row."

Lepel came out again at that instant, at-
tended bj a little man in black, with a pen
behind his ear. " We get down here," he said.
Down they jumped. A man came up and
took charge of the phaeton. They went with
the man from the " Courier" office, and reached
the Hall — a huge building, used for many pur-
poses— where the meeting was to be held. It
was near the time announced. An enormous
mob pressed against the entrance, squeezing,
crushing, groaning, like a thick forest stirred
by a winter gale. " Help 1" and " Oh, God !"—
these were the sounds that broke from the
dense crowd, varied occasionally by a sharp
cry. The multitude moved every now and
then in quick, short convulsions ; for that
multitude throbbed with a common heart, and
that heart diseased.

Lepel and his friends passed in througli a
private door, and emerged on a spacious plat-
form or gallery, bounded by a rail, which stood
at one end of the Hall. They sat down at the
corner in front. The platform was quickly

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 47

filling; suddenly the Hall doors flew open.
Like a roaring torrent in poured the crowd.
Before jou could have breathed thrice that
huge building was swarming with life. Singleton
was profoundly moved. It was the first time
in his existence that he had seen anything of
the sort. He hid his face in his hands for a
moment with emotion. He began to feel what
politics might be ; then he thought for an in-
stant of the library at Heatherbj, and it flashed
upon him that he was the most worthless
dreamer under God's skj. He, whose thoughts
had wandered through creation, what an in-
significant being he was here ! His eyes turned
to Lepel. Never had he seen him so elated.
In the centre of each pale cheek stood a single
flushed spot. His eyes sparkled with the
steady permanent gleam of awakened, unsleep-
ing excitement ; and what should dull that
dangerous fire lighted by ambition in his active
soul? His fair, delicate, mobile brow w^orked
uneasily. He never looked at Singleton ; his
bright eyes were steadily fixed. Slight nervous
gestures showed his agitation. You would have

48 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

thouglit him possessed by a devil — and so he
was!

Through the great crowd there now passed
an emotion of excitement and expectancy. So
hum the pines when the wind begins slowly to
rise in the great western forests.

Singleton glanced at those who occupied the
platform on which he and his friends were. In
the chair, as president, sat the mayor of the
town. A respectable, well-to-do tradesman, all
his sympathies were with the bourgeoisie to
which he belonged — the most stolid, the most
immoveable, the most bigoted of factions.
Aristocracy adorns itself with a sentiment ; the
mob are elevated by their passion; but the
bourgeoisie has but its money to give it inte-
rest or inspiration. The mayor thought it all
quite well to elevate the people, but much more
important to lower the poor-rates.

Beside the chairman was seated a far greater
person — the Reverend Mr. Rutter, rector of
St. George's parish, Huskdale — the indomitable
high church leader of the uncompromising Tory
party. You saw as much in his large, bald

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 49

forehead, and quick ejes. Mr. Rutter was a
large man, but

*M'ens agitat molem, et magno se corpore mlscet !

He was very clever also. He was at once a
sturdy foe to dissent, and a great cause of it,
and his zeal against dissenters usually had
these two results — to deprive their chapels of
steeples, and to fill them with proselytes. He
was a strong Tory, more zealous at public
meetings than in the pulpit; and notwithstand-
ing his sacred profession, was hardly ever so
severe on the devil as on a Radical editor !
The more excited portion of the meeting hooted
him, which disturbed him very slightly. He
glanced round the platform, and met the eyes
of Singleton, whom he knew very well (for he
and Mr. Fontenoy were great friends), and
bowed to him, with considerable surprise at
seeing him there.

. . . And now the expectancy of the crowd
grows stronger and stronger, and the excitement
increases like a growing fire. Up rises the

* Mind moves the mass, and mixes itself with the
great body. Virgil, JEneid, Book vi. v. 727.

VOL. I. E

50 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

chairman with a paper in his hand, quivering
in his nervous grasp. The crowd greet him
with a roar, such as jou hear in Spain when
the bull appears in the circus. He formally
opens the business, and sits down again.

And then rose a well-known public speaker
to move the first resolution.

Singleton had never heard a public speaker,
and he now leant on his arm with his eyes
fixed on this man, and listened intently. The
language was very different from Bolingbroke's
to be sure, but its force and applicability, its
rugged energy, and Fescennine sarcasm, were
invincible. The meeting was mad with in-
dignation when he talked of the sufferings of
the operatives and the hopelessness of legis-
lative aid. Singleton was exhausted by the
excitement of his sympathy alone, and drops
of heavy perspiration stood on his brow. The
orator almost screamed as he pronounced a
peroration of invective, and his choking syllables
were lost in the thunders of applause which
greeted his conclusion. There was a pause
and heavy breathings through the crowd ; men
turned up their hot faces to the roof, as if they
were praying for rain.

SIITGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 51

The people on the platform A^hispered to
each other eagerly. The feeling 6f the meet-
ing was obviously intense. The whole of the
manufacturing districts would be affected by
the report that went forth to-morrow. Dan-
gerous orators were to follow. Orthodoxy
must do something. In the absence of jus-
tice, let the people try the Reyerend Mr.
Rutter !

Another agitator followed. Again came a
whirlwind of passion. The meeting was over-
crammed. There was a loud cry of " Police/^
a man fainting, a shout for air, and ten
minutes of confusion. Singleton was more
and more moved. He would burn his' Homer
next day. The speaker said that ten thou-
sand able-bodied men were destitute of employ-
ment, and soon would be of bread. Singleton
resolved that The Ancient Mariner should
follow. A dreamer! He was a drone' and
dunce, — the most contemptible of mankind!

Up rose Mr. Rutter. There was something
majestic in it. VirgiFs vir pietate gravis ^SiS
not more calmly grave and solemnly decforous.
Mr. Rutter looked like the British Constitution

E 2

LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOJS

52 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

in gaiters ! He was a grand impersonation of
our national respectability. When he rose,
however, there was a tremendous burst of
groaning and jelling, opposed bj a stout
cheering from some of his faithful admirers.
Great noise followed. Mr. Rutter adroitly
seized an opening; his fluent rhetoric shot
through the tumult as Arethusa through the
sea. He secured a hearing.

" This is a d — d sensible old fellow,"
whispered Farquhar to Fontenoy.

Singleton laughed. His emotion was sub-
siding under the influence of Rutter's cold
watery stream of speech. But it did not
diminish the influence on his mind of the
previous harangues. He had acquired thus
early a habit of looking at the souls of things
more than their forms.

Mr. Rutter was successful after the fashion
of his kind. If the people, wanting bread, got
from him nothing but a stone, at least it was
a stone of the highest polish. He was mira-
culously plausible, and to hear him talk, you
would have thought hunger one of the worst
of crimes. He recommended resignation, and

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 53

condemned complaint ; and down he sat,
amidst conflicting noises. Singleton buried
his face in his hands and began to muse,
when suddenly Farquhar seized his arm. He
turned anxiously round. What was his asto-
nishment, and that of his set, when Lepel
rose, and presented himself to the meeting!
There were loud cries of " Who are jouV
" What's your nsuneV

" Gentlemen," said he, " I am Mr. Lepel, of
Dunreddin, in this neighbourhood, a country
gentleman ; and though a country gentleman,
a friend to industry and a lover of the
people!''

Singleton stared at him with astonishment.

" Bravo, bravo I" cried three or four voices ;
and there was a loud cheer.

" I saw with astonishment, as I came here
to-day, the streets of your peaceful and in-
dustrious city filled with soldiers ; and I
confess I thought as I did so of Rome sold by
the Prsetorian Guards."

If Lepel had been studying agitation and
the people of Huskdale for five years, he could
not have hit on a more eJ0fective opening, or

54 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

an allusion better calculated to inflame the
passions which Mr. Rutter had been endea-
vouring to soothe down. From the whole of
the multitude there burst a tremendous cheer.
On he went, with equal success. You felt
that jou were listening to a man who had
found his proper vocation. Vigorous, copious,
accurate, and graphic, without a raj of imagi-
nation, but with so much that everybody could
appreciate, his language seemed the sublime
of common sense. And then he indulged
perpetually in sarcasms, not fanciful and in-
genious, but broad, sensible, and funny. He
attacked, not like a gladiator, but an English
bruiser. It was Oobbett all over, and Cobbett
when he was young. His personification of a
Tory Lord of the Marquis de Carabas' school,
" preserving rigidly everything but his te-
nantry," and "once in five years making a
great parade of returning ten per cent, of a
rent that was fifty per cent, too high," brought
down roars of applause from the radicals, who
recognised the portrait; and when he grew
warmer, and alluded to "reverend oppressors
of the poor," and "ungracious ministers of

SINGLETON FONTENOY, B.N. 55

grace," the roof trembled with the thunder of
the cheering which followed; and Singleton,
looking at Mr. Rutter, saw that anger was
rising to his forehead, and that he was writh-
ing with indignation.

*' There was a time, gentlemen," said Lepel,
" when the labouring men of this kingdom had
daily good beef and beer."

" When was that 1" asked Mr. Rutter, start-
ing up in great wrath.

" Not in jour time, we may be sure," said
the orator, with great composure, and a sub-
lime waye of his hand, while loud laughter and
cries of " Oh," and " Shame," from Mr. Rutter's
supporters followed. "Really this irritation
scarcely becomes so meek and exemplary a
pastor! But we have now rabidity from the
most unexpected quarters. We are daily
hearing violent harangues against the popular
party, and this ' black vomit' is the deadliest
symptom of our political fever ! "

This was a metaphor peculiarly adapted
to the audience, and was wonderfully ap-
plauded.

Lepel concluded with a violent peroration ;

56 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

as he sat down, cheering burst again and
again from the meeting.

" Three cheers for Mr. Lepel !" cried somebody.

The J were given gloriously; and as he
turned to his friends, they saw his hands
trembling violently, and his features covered
with a light dew of perspiration w^hich
sparkled on the purple flush.

Every obnoxious resolution was carried
immediately. The people on the platform
rose to go away, and Lepel and his friends
went out again by the private door. As they
gained the street, he was recognized by the
populace and loudly cheered, much to the
annoyance of Mr. Farquhar. " Come, my
boys," said Lepel, to his companions, "we'll
slip away, and dine at the George.'^

They went to the inn in question, one of
the best in the town, and there they found a
private room, with fire blazing, neat wax
candles ready for lighting, cloth elegantly laid,
and sherry and madeira comfortably airing
themselves.

" Why, hang it, one vrould think they had
expected us," said Farquhar.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 57

" Yes," said Lepel, drilj, and with a grin,
" it looks like it. Here are the true friends of
the people!" And so saying, this great
patriot seized the sherry with his usual live-
liness, and mixed himself a tumbler of wine
and water. " Are we justified, my friends,"
he continued, " in drinking claret in the pre-
sent state of the labouring population ?"

All this was doubtless very facetious, but
the truth is that Singleton was getting some-
what shocked by it, and Lepel, perhaps seeing
as much, changed his tone, and rung the bell
for dinner with his " spectacle" look. He had
wonderful versatility of manner, this young
gentleman, and was born to be an intriguant.

The dinner was now brought up, plain, but
very good; soup, a pair of fowls, neck of
mutton and turnips, game, and stilton and
celery. They talked very little during the
repast, but after the cloth was removed, and
port and madeira with dessert fairly estab-
lished, Lepel resumed his jolly look, filled up
a glass, and said, " Gentlemen, I give you the
people, the only source of legitimate power !"
with a delicious leer.

58 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

There was a roar of laughter at this, and
" what a shame, old boj !" from his easy
companions. Lepel's vanity was highly
deliglited. With the most fiery ambition, he
was very vain.

" Pretty fellows, you are," he said, with a
laugh, " not to have told me yet, what you
think of my speech/'

" I tell you, candidly," said Farquhar,

tossing off his wine, "that it was a d d

deal better, than I ever thought you could do.
By Jove, it was first-rate, but it's cursed wrong
you know, and all that."

" It reminded me of Tierney," said Single-
ton, who had read a good deal of oratory.
" It was excellent."

" It was admirable," said Bones. " But I
say nothing of its principles, mind you." And
Bones, who was of a dark complexion, looked
very grave.

Lepel's eyes sparkled as he heard all their
encomiums. " Never mind that last question
at present. I'll show them what a gentleman
can do when he takes to agitation. The mob

SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N. 59

have been in the hands of bagmen too long.
Pass the wine, mj boys,

Les vrais amis de la bouteille,
Sont cheris de I'Etre Divin !

as my poor friend Dupuis used to sing."
The wine passed round immediately, and there
was many a lively remark and gay boast.

" Let us drink the memory of Rochefou-
cauld," said Lepel. "His maxims are like
cracker-bonbons, smart, snapping, and devilish
good things."

" The memory of Catullus," said Farquhar,
taking the notion up in his turn. " He was
the most brilliant fast man of antiquity, and
can be compared to nothing but Apollo out
on the loose."

" The memory of that Pope (I have forgot
his name") said Bones, ecclesiastical in his
wildest moments, " who originated the phrase,
Bibamus Fapaliter /"

" The memory of Chatterton," said Single-
ton, with his blue eyes beaming fire, " the most
admirable genius from the days of Shakspere
to the birth of Shelley, who gained an immor-
tality before he was eighteen."

60 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

This was received with enthusiasm, and the
memory of these favourites duly honoured,
much as the ancients themselves honoured
their dead, by pouring wine on their ashes.

They had just drunk Singleton's toast, when
there was a small, curious tapping at the door
heard, which produced an immediate silence.

"Enter," cried Lepel.

The door opened, and there appeared — a
boy, of singular aspect.

He was dressed in youthful corduroys, and
a black waistcoat. His shirt sleeves were
tucked up, displaying smutty arms. On his
mouth there was a smile and a smudge of ink.
In one hand he held a paper cap, of coronal
shape ; in the other, he carried a long strip of
printed paper. With this advancing, he pre-
sented it to Lepel.

" Behold a cacodsemon !" cried Lepel.

" ril wait for the proof, sir,'' said the boy,
— " the wondrous boy," — seating himself in a
chair, and tucking up his youthful legs, with
the most consummate ease. " They're a-going
to press early this week."

" What a doosed mysterious fellow you

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 61

are, Fred/' said Farquhar. " What's tins
go?"

"We shall see/' said Lepel, mysteriously.
Here he rang the bell : the waiter duly
appeared. " Coffee /' and he added, *' Bring
paper, ink, and pens, and a basin of cold
water. — Now, some of you fellows, give that
youth a glass of port : he is one of the Slaves
of the Lamp of Knowledge/'

The boy drank tranquilly, and composed
himself to sleep !

In a short time up came the coffee, &c.
Lepel soused his face in the cold water, and
bathed his forehead eagerly, while his friends
watched him, and wondered what he was going
to do. He soon sat down, drank some coffee,
then seized pen and ink. In a few moments
he had dismissed the proof, and he flung it
over to Singleton and the others. It was part
of that afternoon's speech.

" Why, hang it ! you're not editing the
"- Courier V " said Farquhar.

" No," said Lepel, quietly, and beginning to
cover a sheet of paper with writing at an
astonishing rate. His rapid pen went forward,

^2 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

and seemed to pour out its sharp, clear
characters by magic.

" Now for a few lines for the Poet's Corner,
mj bojs ! What saj you 1 Epigram on
Rutter — quick \"

Between them all, thej knocked up the
following

EPIGRAM ON A HEAVY PREACHER.

Poor Booby makes a sad mistake,

From which amusement we may reap,

When he the conscience should awake,
He sends the sinner off to sleep !

When all are snug within their pews,

He's great on Origin of Evil !
But I've my own peculiar views,

I think his sermons are — the Devil !

Acer.

" Now, boy," said Lepel, " oflf like the wind;"
and the imp vanished most dramatically.

" I have begun my career !" Lepel cried,
flinging away the pen.

And immediately after he summoned the
waiter, settled the bill, and they drove away.

It was a beautiful evening, and the sky was
populous with stars, as they dashed along the

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 63

road to Dunreddin ; and the pleasant bright
moonlight made the house beautiful and the
avenue cheerful. What a change from the
excitement of the town, and the day !

The ladies were up stairs in the drawing-
room at tea. Our party soon joined them.
Mrs. Lepel was playing chess with Ellen
Pierrepoint, who had come over during their
absence. Augusta was leaning back on the
ottoman, reading poetry. Singleton's father
was teasing a little, queer pug-dog, with a coat
like Berlin wool.

Frederick marched in first, as usual.

" Dear me, Ellen, you have broken the flag
ofi* that castle !" said his mother.

" Emblematic of the fate of the oligarchy/'
said Frederick, laughing. " How is the sweet
P. V he continued ; for, owing to his plain,
sensible, off-hand manner, he had a license
from young ladies which was not conceded to
more romantic youths. But Ellen was not
likely to find fault with anything he did. She
received him with a frank, gay smile, full of
light and colour. But Frederick cared far more
for a cheer. Misguided youth !

64 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

" Well " asked his mother, " was there a
meeting T

" Yes/' said Frederick, quietly.

Ellen looked up. Why did he not go, and
sit down beside her %

" Well, Fred," pursued his mother, " tell us
about the proceedings."

" Ask Singleton."

" Let me congratulate you on the accession
of an orator.''

"Do you mean to say you spoke in public,
Frederick T asked Mrs. Lepel.

" Yes, mamma, I did."

Mrs. Lepel looked very grave. Augusta
closed her volume, and looked up.

" Where's my father T asked Frederick.

" There's a gentleman with him in the study,
who came about seven o'clock."

" Do you know who it is V

His mother rang the bell.

" Who is with your master, Thomas "?"

"The Rev. Mr. Rutter, from Huskdale,
ma'am."

SINGLETON FONTENOT, E.N. 65

CHAPTER V.

Spes et prsemia in ambiguo : certa, funera et luctus.
Tacitus, Hist. Lib. ii. 45.

Hopes and rewards were matter of ambiguity : deaths
and grief — certain.

Next day about noon Singleton was sitting
in the library at Heatberby — which was only
about a mile and a half from Dunreddin —
reading Jeremy Taylor. Ev^ery now and then
he laid down the volume, and found his
thoughts wandering to the proceedings of the
day before. His excitement seemed to him,
now, yery foolish and useless. It had been an
affair of the imagination — like his sympathies
with the hero of a romance — he began to think.
What could he do, to ameliorate evils l He

yoL. I. F

66 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

had, or thought he had, quite a deficiency in
those qualities which seemed to mark his friend
Frederick Lepel out for a worker and mover.
Besides, could the race be permanently much
elevated ? Was it not always the same story
over again, this history of theirs 1 Barbarism,
wars, despotism, civilization, corrupted civiliza-
tion, decay — barbarism over again !

He paced up and down the room in a fit of
melancholy meditation ; he gazed out of the
windows wistfully ; the world seemed covered
with a sickly haze. He pined for action of
some sort. " How much better,'' he thought,
is the honest woodman, who cuts down an oak
to feed the wood fire that warms his family,
than either the enthusiast who dreams in its
shade, the poet who describes it, the scientific
man who measures it, or the botanist who
classifies it !"

A servant, at this period of his speculations,
entered the room with a note for him. It was
a triangular, pink, perfumed little affair, plea-
sant to the eye, and grateful to the sense. He
took it from the salver ; the servant withdrew.

It was from Augusta Lepel.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 67

This was the first time he had ever received
a note from her, though he saw her constantly,
and the two families, indeed, were in the
closest 'intimacy. So, it made a kind of little
era. It ran as follows : —

" Dear Singleton,

" Will you join a little pic-nic excursion to

the ruins of Trevor Abbey, this afternoon?

Mr. Bones and his friends wish to see it before

they go, which must be soon. Come over at

once. Besides, I have something to say to

you. We are all alarmed about Frederick.

Enough : — come.

" Augusta."

The truth was, that the party at Dun-
reddin were rather in a state of uneasiness
that morning. The London papers which had
come down, were full of details about what
they called the " disturbed state of the manu-
facturing districts." Rumours, too, had reached
them from Huskdale, that there had been dis-
turbances in the town the night before. Mr.
Lepel was silent, gloomy, and thoughtful all

F 2

68 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

breakfast-time, and scarcely spoke a word.
Mrs. Lepel appeared with difficulty to preserve
her calmness. Frederick did not come down
to breakfast at all, but breakfasted in bed ;
and before eleven o'clock the same imp whom
Bones and Farquhar had seen the day before
at the * George,' was observed by them in the
avenue, giving a parcel to one of the servants,
and then rode back to Huskdale, on a butcher's
pony, in a style which would have excited the
admiration of his brother demons of London to
an unnatural pitch of envy. The two Oxon-
ians, as they saw this, were smoking in a lean-
ing position against the garden-wall.

" I tell you what," said Farquhar, filliping
the white ash from his cigar, " I'm oJQf south
very soon."

" We'll see Trevor to-day, then," said Bones,
pensively.

" That fellow Fred will get himself into a
scrape, I see," Farquhar went on. " No good
ever comes of what's irregular. If a man must
be public, let him go under somebody's wing.
There was ygung Sickles : Lord Debosh
brought him in for the Snugglesborough seat.

SINGLETON" FONTENOY, R.N. 69

Sickles voted against the party — only by
accident. lie routed him out directly after-
wards ; and Fm told the poor fellow's redoosed
to editing a newspaper ! Now ''

Here Frederick Lepel approached them,
and Farquhar stopped what he was saying ;
for he was rather afraid of him, and perhaps
anywhere else but in his own place would
have fought shy of him altogether.

" Well, oh ingenuous youths !" began Frede-
rick, with his usual quiet, satirical smile ; '* what
are you going to do to-day ?"

" We are thinking of going to see the Abbey,"
Bones replied.

" Very good — youth is the season for amuse-
ment r* said Lepel, with a facetious paternal
air. He was barely twenty-two, but he was
old in energy — and some other things, as we
shall see. " The Abbey's on our property, you
know," he added ; " at least the ruins of it are.
Come, Bones, you shall have it at a moderate
valuation. We'll build it by estimate, and
rig you up as an abbot from the * property'
stock of the Huskdale theatre !"

While they were laughing at this proposal,

70 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

it was announced to the speaker that his father
wished to see him in the study ; at which the
laugh was renewed against himself. The two
Oxonians very well knew what this sort of
interview meant in general ; they little under-
stood how differently Lepel viewed it.

" Au revoi7\" he cried, waving his hand ; " I
shall not be long." And Farquhar nodded
and laughed.

We will follow Frederick.

He found his father, who was a fine vene-
rable old man, drawing towards sixty, with a
sweet serene countenance, — " a lively eye and
a benevolent smile,"'''' — seated with much for-
mality in his arm-chair. He was not remark-
able for energy of character, or indeed for his
intellectual qualities generally ; but if mediocre,
he was agreeably mediocre. He had been
educated in the worst prejudices ; but if they
had warped his nature, they had not spoiled
it ; and as for his disposition, • nothing could
contaminate that.

* D'Aubigne, of the late Dr. Chalmers. " Travelling
BecoUeciions" (Book 2n(l).

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 71

" Sit down, Frederick," he said, after shaking
hands with him aiFectionatelj. Frederick had
his spectacles on : there was an air of calm
enthusiasm about him which it was refreshing
to look at. He awaited his father's words
with profound attention and filial deference.

" Frederick,'' his father began, " Mr. Rutter
was over here from Huskdale last niglit."

Frederick gave a slight bow.

" I heard from him of your proceedings,
yesterday, at this meeting. I am very much
surprised, and, I may add, pained at your
behaviour. Dear me," he went on, agitated
with the thought, "you will compromise us
all. Such violent language, such unscrupulous
hostility to all that is established ! These are
dangerous times."

" The more need for the gentlemen of Eng-
land to exert themselves," said his son, mildly,
but firmly.

"But consider, my dear boy, consider the
family. That is the link. Is'nt there some-
thing— Burke, I rather fancy — ^" Mr. Lepel
1 ooked puzzled for a moment, but the quotation
escaped him. "At all events, you must see

72 SmGLETON" FONTENOY, R.I^.

that sucli radicalism is impossible to persons
in our position, an old, well-connected family.
Frederick, just ask yourself this, what would
Lord Sycamore, whose wife presented j'our
sister, our connection as everybody knows
he is, — what would he say to such a speech
as you made 1 God bless me, if it should
get abroad !''

, " Get abroad,'^ thought his son, " what will
he say to the * Courier V " Frederick turned a
little pale, as he thought of all he had plunged
into.

"You have very good talents,'' continued
Mr. Lepel, " talents that may lead to any rea-
sonable position. The estate is entailed, as
you know. What an authority you may be,
with care ! If this false step has not ruined
all !" he concluded, playing with a pen, ner-
vously, and adjusting himself uneasily in his
chair. The old gentleman had been not a
little moved by all this; he had that timo-
rous apprehension of publicity, change, and
-excitement, so natural to one educated entirely
in the old school, and who had lived all his
life in wealth and good society. He had

SINGLETON- PONTENOY, R.N. 73

always had the highest opinion of his son's
powers, and had, of late, begun to fear his
character.

" I have had nothing but the greatest kind-
ness from jou," began Frederick, seriously and
impressively, '' but I like to see kindness, like
other natural blessings, such as light, extended
to all the world ; and I wish you to make that
goodness which cheers your own circle, animate
and benefit a wider sphere. I am sure you
will recollect," pursued Frederick, artfully,
" what your favourite Johnson says of goodness
which is limited in its operation, that it ' wants
the sacred splendour of munificence.' Now,
my dear sir, what are the facts regarding the
state of the English lower classes V So say-
ing, Frederick secured the old gentleman's
attention, opened a brief, ingenious, and lucid
statement, and concluded by appealing to his
sympathy in favour of his exertions in the
cause of *' the masses."

Mr. Lepel was considerably moved. He
was a very kind-hearted man, as I have said,
and besides, was one of those, who (holding
conservative opinions) had begun dimly to look

74 SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N.

on the Reform Bill as a measure that, once
passed, must necessarily lead to further results.
He had opposed the Reform Bill ; but was it
worth while to carry on an antagonism that
had already been defeated, and which was pos-
sibly morally wTong '? He remained for a few
minutes in deep reflection.

Suddenly he rose up. " Frederick, I feel
that it is impossible that you can carry on a
public agitation. But, I tell you what. I
am afraid, it is too true, that the lower orders
haye never been properly considered. Every
man can do good in his own sphere. We will
look to our tenants. You and I can go over
the rent roll together. We will abate the
rents wherever we can, and retrench to make
up the difference.'^

It was lucky for Mr. Frederick Lepel, that
he possessed in an eminent degree that com-
mand of countenance so necessary to the
patriot, — otherwise, he must have been over-
whelmed by this burst of the old gentleman's.
For a moment he was silent, actually silenced
by this stroke so unconsciously given him by
his father, who could not have hit on a better.

SIKGLETON FONTENOY, R.N-. 75

if he had been trained in diplomacy. By
particularly good fortune, there was a slight
tap at the door at that instant. Augusta
entered to to say that the party were just
about to start. Her fair face with its
fresh hues was quite a relief. The truth is,
Augusta had had an idea that something
unpleasant might be taking place, and with all
her natural kindness and tenderness, had come
in hopes to neutralize it. Her appearance
broke up the interview. The father and son
shook hands: Mr. Lepel begging Frederick
" to think over what he had said to him."

When Frederick reached his bedroom to
prepare for the excursion, he shut the door
with violence, and burst into a roar of laughter.
" Capital, by Jove ! That was an idea of my
father's, with a vengeance." He chuckled all
the time he was dressing at the notion, and
then, seizing a pocket handkerchief, rushed
down stairs to the party, who were waiting
for him. " Good morning, Singleton, fine day,
en avant, marchons!" And ofi* they started
on their pilgrimage.

It was one of those fine afternoons of dry.

76 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

pure air, and fine tempered sunlight, which we
sometimes have in Autumn, before that season
departs finally to join " the years beyond the
flood." The country was radiant with all the
variety of colours which mark the period ; and
that country where our friends were is very
beautiful. It undulates with hill and vale ;
it is dotted, here and there, with little Saxon
churches with ivy-clad towers, of a date long
anterior, as we may be sure, to the town of
Huskdale. The horizon is bounded by high,
bare mountains, on whose summits the snow
lingers all the year round ; the dells have in
them quarries, worked, exhausted, and aban-
doned long ago, and now full of trees and
brushwood, from out which, in the moist
twilight of the morning, young rabbits steal to
crop the green barley of the fields near. No
manufacturing town has a site so nearly poetic
as Huskdale, or so few of the disagreeable
characteristics of such cities. Yet, nowhere
does there exist such a want of anything ap-
proaching to unanimity between the civic and
rural inhabitants of the country.

Frederick and Farquhar marched on, in

SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N. 77

front, talking about Oxford ; Frederick, who
had been educated principally abroad, and
who belonged altogether to the progress party,
attacking it as a bad place of instruction ;
Farquhar, on the contrary, defending it, which,
(when we reflect on what it had done for that
youth) was, at least, disinterested. Next came
Mr. Bones, with the enthusiasm of a pilgrim
in his face, and in his right hand a consider-
able basket of refreshments. Lastly, came
Augusta and Singleton ; they were talking
away as usual, in a manner at once playful
and full of feeling.

" What do you suppose to be the exact
nature of the pleasure we receive from seeing
ruins? There is a pleasure, but yet it is sad
too," said Singleton to his fair instructress.

" Dear me, Singleton," said Augusta, " what
difficult questions you put. Why, I think it
is, that we have a pleasure in doing honour to
the dead, who once inhabited them ; we feel
that perhaps they are conscious of our
kindness, and that it compensates for the
decay."

"I am afraid that's rather far-fetched,

78 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

Augusta," cried Frederick, whose quick ear
had caught the remark, during a pause in his
dialogue with Farquhar.

" Yes," said Singleton, '' for it was fetched
from IleaYcn!"

" There's a true knight,'^ cried Augusta,
laughing at the hyperbole.

" Where is the guerdon 1 " said Singleton,
in a low Toice.

Augusta smiled, and looked at him with a
blush.

That was it !

" Neat,'' said Frederick, dropping behind,
that the conversation might become general.
" But I'll explain the pleasure you talk about.
The pleasure of seeing ruins consists in this,
that we mentally compare them with our own
snug dwellings, and felicitate ourselves on the
contrast."

" But if a man were houseless and homeless
he would feel the pleasure," said Bones.

" If so, it would be because he saw a chance
of taking a shelter in the nook, there," replied
Lepel.

" What do we live for, after all?" said

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 79

Bones, with a sigh. (He began to find the
baskist heavy.)

" The greatest happiness of the greatest
number/^ Lepel answered.

" And what is the greatest number V^ asked
Bones.

" No. 1!" cried Farquhar, brisklj.

" Capital/' cried Bones, and everybody
laughed again.

" That will do for your next wine-party at
Christ Church,'^ Lepel said, smiling. Farquhar
was charmed.

They were now drawing near the abbey,
the ruins of which occupied a large space of
ground, and were almost entirely covered with
ivy. The stones were black with age, and
nettles hung out of the ruined tower here and
there. Stiff, black yew trees sprang up, from
out the piles of ruins, too, their cold, gloomy
life suiting well with the desolation round.

As the party approached, a heavy barn-owl
was scared from his retreat, and with many a
melancholy whoop, beating the air with his
dull wings, made for a neighbouring wood.
The daws clamoured with their harsh peevish-

80 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

ness ; and the starlings, — at once funereal and
lively (like a group of drunken mutes), —
started out of their ivj home.

" This is poetry/* said Singleton, uncovering
himself for a moment.

" I feel it," said Augusta, softly.

" Sancte Kilderkine!" muttered Bones, in-
voking his favourite saint, in a low voice, " sit,
precor, tibi, terra levis ! — sit nomen hono-
ratum ! Ambulans, edens, bibens, sum tui
memor." Bones was a solid, grave, young
man, who puzzled himself with the doctrines
of a very clever set at Oriel, who first
made him a proselyte, and then a laughing-
stock.

" It is a relic of cold, barbarous times of
darkness and fraud, when a peasant was
treated as a beast, and his lord was one," said
Lepel, who, if he had no sentiment, had
passion, — from his political feelings, — which
was sometimes nearly as efi'ective. Singleton
and Augusta made no observation ; they
walked round the ruins together.

" All the divine feelings crowd upon one
here," whispered Singleton, pressing her hand.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 81

She smiled kindly. Singleton looked at her
face, but bis eyes were scarcely dry.

" I love you as a sister/' she said, quietly.

" I invoke you as a saint,'' said Singleton.

A quarter of an hour passed away, and
then the party sat down on a group of stones,
to partake of the delicate collation which they
had brought. In pic-nics, everything ought to be
as gay as the open air under which it is
taken ; the wine should reflect the heavens,
for example. Leave bottled stout to ogres,
oh, reader! and honour the occasion with
the ethereal sparkle of the transcendental
Moselle.

" There must have been something divine
in the idea which prompted the builder of
this abbey," said Bones.

" No doubt of it," said Augusta.

" I fancy it was built just as we build,"
said Frederick ; " because they thought it
useful, and that it would pay. All buildings
are the same."

" What do you say to the Great Pyramid ?"
asked Singleton.

VOL. I. G

82 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

"I call it Cheops' Follj!" replied Lepel,
emptying his glass.

There is no arguing against a mot, so the
laugh which followed this stopped the dis-
cussion.

" What is that noise V^ said Farquhar, sud-
denly.

There was heard, just as he spoke, the
sharp, hard ringing of a horse's hoofs over the
ground, and in an instant afterwards, there
galloped up to them a young man in the
uniform of a hussar officer. His horse, which
was a small, beautiful, black creature, as
graceful as an antelope, bore the marks of
hard riding, and its mouth sparkled with
foam ; the rider flung himself from his saddle
within a few yards of them, and holding the
bridle in one hand, with the other removed
his cap and bowed low. He was very young,
with long light hair, and a soft flaxen mous-
tache, and seemed pale and harassed.

" I beg your pardon, — a thousand pardons,"
he said, faintly, "may I ask a glass of water 1"

Lepel jumped to his feet at once. " God
bless me, — there is no water. Let me intreat

SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N. 83

you to take some Moselle." And lie seized
a silver chased cup, which was lying unused
on the grass, and filled it with the hissing
wine.

"Thank you, thank you," said the young
officer, and he eagerly swallowed a draught of
it. " You are very kind — " he looked round
the circle, and spoke hurriedly and nervously.
" I am going to Huskdale, — a detachment is
ordered there ; I have ridden fifteen miles in
the last hour ; — they say the country here's
in a most disturbed state — riots expected
every hour. Yesterday, a great meeting, —
most inflammatory — too bad— poor people."
He spoke these sentences in quick, broken
fragments. Lepel looked at him hard ; there
was scorn gathering in his heart, and a sneer
rising upon his lips.

" Pray rest yourself a minute."

The oflBcer bowed again, and meeting
Augusta's look, by accident, coloured slightly.

" I hate the duty," he proceeded ; " all our's
do, — but then, what times ! "

" Yes," said Lepel, very calmly, " times
indeed! So, Government are afraid, are

G2

84 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

tliej?" he asked, laying a slight emphasis on
the last words.

" I fancy uneasy," replied the soldier, who
with the quick tact which men of his pro-
fession acquire in such matters, saw to what
class the party belonged. " There's always
danger at these times in such places as this ;
it's as well you will have good protection."

With a half smile at these last words, he
rose, bowed, thanked them again, jumped into
the saddle, and gallopped away to the high
road, which lay near the field in which the
ruins were situated.

" Well, let us return home," said Frederick,
whose gaiety of manner had been quite driven
away by the incident.

The party rose, somewhat damped also,
and took the field-path towards Dunreddin.
Augusta was silent, and Singleton did not
like to risk the chance of producing any
emotion by speaking to her.

" Come along, Farquhar," cried Frederick,
motioning to him to take his arm ; and as they
walked away from the ruins, he pointed to
the figure of the hussar, who was seen in the

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 85

distance, disappearing like a small black cloud.
" There goes a cub of war, — a brainless youth,
who ought to be trundling a hoop, as he no
doubt was six months ago.^'

Frederick had that dislike and contempt
for soldiers which is another characteristic of
the school to which his tendencies led him.

" He seemed very gentlemanly/' said
Augusta, quietly. .

" Oh, of course, gentlemanly enough," he
replied ; " we are all gentlemanly, I suppose.
I say he is a dull machine, used for a vile
purpose.^'

He spoke bitterly, for he was always in
earnest in his contempt, — in whatever other
matters he might be only an actor. His
sister said nothing ; they all walked on in
silence, and in good time reached Dunreddin
again. How calm and beautiful it looked as
they approached ; — to Augusta how holy —
to her brother how tame !

Singleton's father was there, and going to
stay dinner. So was Ellen Pierrepoint. Mr.
Fontenoy was in a very bad humour ; he had
been all the morning trying poachers. He

86 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

scarcely took any notice wliatever of Frederick
Lepel, which brought a glance to that youth's
face which was not pleasant to see. He asked
Singleton what he had been doing — as a
matter of business — and yawned when he was
informed ; he said to Augusta that he hoped
Singleton was not troublesome to her. He
remarked that he did not think the fine
weather would last long ; that the radicals of
Huskdale were great rascals, but would soon
be " put down " if they tried anything : that
the country interest was shamefully used by
all governments ; that Huskdale was a dis-
grace to the county ; that in his grandfather's
time it was a wretched Tillage, where they
kept nothing but the county fox-hounds ; that
the Chartist member wore a yery bad hat ;
and that Mr. Rutter was an admirable
preacher. In a word, Mr. Fontenoy was in
force.

Frederick Lepel growled epigrams all the
time they were at dinner. Mr. Fontenoy and
he avoided commenting on each other. Ellen
listened to Frederick with great admiration.
Farquhar talked to Mrs. Lepel; Mr. Lepel

SIKGLETON FONTEKOT, R.lSr. 87

talked to his daughter ; and Bones opened on
Singleton about the Romantic School : every*
body talked to the wrong person, and every-
body was uneasy.

After dinner, politics still kept hovering
over the gentlemen's conversation, as it were ;
in the drawing-room, matters, however, began
to grow better, when Augusta sang.

Now it happened that a little girl, a sister
of Miss Pierrepoint, had come over to Dun-
reddin ; and while all were in the drawing-
room, this child, who had been on the terrace,
came running in.

"Such a pitty sight— such a very pitty
sky !" she said, after the manner of childhood.

" What does * pitty' Eva say V asked
Augusta, moving away the pretty child's light
hair from its forehead, and kissing it.

" So very pitty a sky 1" cried the child
again. " Come, see sky with Eva.''

Augusta rose, and went out to see what
made little Eva so enthusiastic ; and most of
the party followed. They gained the terrace.

And on the horizon, over Huskdale, the sky
was flushing with a red glare.

88 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

" It is the aurora borealis," cried Augusta,
hastily.

Behind her there was a low ringing laugh.

" Who was that ?"

Nobody answered.

" That's no aurora borealis," said Mr. Fon-
tenoy, brusquely and startled.

" No heavenly lire at all," said Singleton.

*' It's a fire at Huskdale !" cried his father.
" Merciful God !"

At these words, there was a dead and deep
silence among the party. The minds of all
were full of the troubles of the period, and
perhaps of their own relation to them ; and
they saw in the spectacle before them an
object of more than ordinary terror.

Singleton stole near Augusta, and whispered
to her some words to allay her fears. The
silence lasted some time ; then Mr. Lepel
spoke : —

" Frederick."

There was no answer.

" Where is Frederick V

Frederick was galloping to Huskdale as fast
as a noble horse could carry him. Mr. Lepel

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 89

learnt that lie had gone. He turned slightly
pale, and walked into the house ; but he said
nothing. The fire was slowly paling on the
thick, murky sky ; only red, muddy clouds of
smoke hung there, faintly visible.

There had been a riot — fortunately not a
very serious one — in Huskdale ; and it had
been followed by the conflagration, which was
now being extinguished.

The neighbourhood of the scene of action
was crowded with people, plashing in the
water which flowed down the street in a dirty
torrent. There gleamed the helmets of the
Fire Brigade, striving to save the burning
dwelling, which was wrapped round in a
funeral garment of smoke. Windows burst —
rafters cracked — up rose the many-coloured
flames, fantastic in their shapes, towards heaven
— curlings leaping, quivering. Then came a
great rush of water, and a hiss, and a thick
cloud of steam.

Two mechanics were standing on the pave-
ment near, looking silently on the spectacle,
and glancing, first, at the faces of the crowd.

90 SINGLETON FONTENOT, E.N.

wliicli were lighted up by the fire, and then at
each other.

Presently one of them nudged the other,
and, rubbing his hands, said, " I'm blessed if
it don't keep one warm — eh, Oowland ?"

His companion laughed, and muttered —
" Hush ! So it does ; and it's cheap, too."

And then they both laughed again. The
fire at this instant burst another window, and
shot out in a thin clear streak, like a golden
branch.

A third mechanic came up to them, just as
they were laughing. He was a tall, stout man,
with a grave, pale countenance.

" Do you know,'* he said, " what the Bible
says about the laughter o' fools ? — That it's
for all the world like thorns a-crackling under
a pot 1 Let me tell you, my lads, that it won't
keep the pot boiling either."

So saying, he passed on, and they saw him
no more. Poor fellow ! he was a mute, in-
glorious commentator.

The two mechanics looked at each other
again, and then at the fire ; the long hoses of
the Fire Brigade were curling up the outside

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 91

like serpents ; the fire was getting gradually
conquered. But the circumstance excited little
emotion in that crowd, for the sympathies of
the majority of them were with the Destroyer.

" It's getting low," said the mechanic, whom
his companion had addressed as Cowland.
Cowland's friend touched his arm meaningly
as he spoke ; for there had approached them
while he did so two persons, whose appearance
distinctively marked them as belonging to a
different order. One was a tall, thin, military-
looking man, with a large moustache ; the
other, a young one, wrapped in a cloak, and
with a kind of foraging cap pulled far over his
brows.

" A feu de joie Anglais,^ said the tall one
to his companion.

" A political suttee," answered the other.

" Ah, Paris is the town for mob movements !
We deal with the very stones, like Deucalion.
— we turn them into men !"

"Hear that," whispered Cowland to his
friend.

" If the People knew their own power T
pursued the first speaker.

92 SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N.

Oowland addressed him.

" Tliej are learning it, sir. "We are to have
a Convention soon."

His brother mechanic pulled him bj the
arm again, fearing perhaps that the strangers
were spies.

Bj this time the crowd were beginning to
disperse. The mechanics departed one way,
the strangers another.

" I should like to visit the penetralia of these
radical fellows," said the tall man. " They
have secret societies here, too, as in Paris.
You remember the * Vrais Amis' that I
introduced you too ?"

" Oh yes," said his young companion, " but
hang it, one must be cautious ; this is a dif-
ferent country."

" I'm afraid you're not a genuine democrat.
Remember, 'none but the brave deserve the
fair,' it's the same thing in politics."

" Yes, deserve the fair, all well and good.
But who get what they deserve 1"

" Come on ; let us beat up the haunts of
what they preposterously call the * lower
orders.' "

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 93

It was late the next morning before Fred-
erick Lepel reached Dunreddin, and the servant
who had been waiting up for him saw that he
was weary and excited. He remained for
some time, however, before he went to bed,
resting with his hands clasping his forehead,
and elbows on the table in deep thought.
Then he dipped into a book, and his eje fell
on the passage which we have transferred to
the head of this chapter, from the pages of
the acute and profound historian of Rome, —
that Rochefoucauld with a soul, — so keen, so
deep, so earnest, so pathetic — immortal Tacitus !
Melancholy and concise remark on civil com-
motions ; Spes et prcemia in amhigiio : certa,
funera et luctus !

Lepel smiled, yawned wearily, began to
undress. As he flung from his neck a heavy
gold chain which he wore, " ^Gad," he cried,
" That's too pretentious for a friend of the
people !"

94 SINGLETON FONTBNOT, K.N.

CHAPTER VI.

O'er flower and fruit alike, Tom,

You pass with plodding feet,
* * * *

But Genius stops to loiter.
With all that it may meet.

Thackeray.

While Frederick Lepel was thus employed
in the stormj pursuits of the opening of his
career, and, to use a yerj expressive phrase
that they have in the navy, was " as busy as
the devil in a gale of wind," that active gentle-
man, Mr. Fontenoy, of Heatherby, discovered
a school for Singleton. Dr. Helot, of Oaken
Lodge, educated a limited number of young
gentlemen of good family in the proper ortho-

SINGLETON FONTEKOY, E.N. 95

dox way which Mr. Fontenoj loTed. The
school was near one of those beautiful lakes
where the shade of the divine Coleridge no
doubt loves to linger. It was a good long
journey from Huskdale.

It had "turned out" several capital scholars.
The doctor was a clever man, and had once
been ambitious. Possessed of considerable
Greek, and some audacity, he edited ^schylus.
The phenomenon made him a miracle in Eng-
land. Flushed witli success, he went to travel.
He reached Germany. One morning he
entered the lecture-room of a famous Hellenist,
in a famous university. The subject w«s
iEschylus and his recent editors. " Of editions
of this great poet," said the Professor, " there
is one well nigh to men of true learning into-
lerable; the edition of one Helot, an English-
man." The Doctor waited somewhile longer.
He heard his unhappy edition pounded in the
learned man's mortar. He rushed frantically
out, and started for England that night. He
became an under master in a school on his
return, and married his head-master's daughter,
a lady as learned as Mrs. Carter, and as

96

slovenly as Pope's Artemisia. He then took
Oaken Lodge, which he conducted very suc-
cessfiillj, and at the time that he wrote to say
he was ready to receive our hero, he was
tolerably advanced in life. His favourite
instrument of correction was the cane. So
far he conceded to modern ideas, which con-
demn the use of the birch. But he used the
cane vigorously enough, and if, like Aaron's
rod, it " swallowed up the rest" of the instru-
ments of punishment, it combined all their
terrors in itself.

A fine afternoon found Singleton walking
along a romantic road which led from the
town of Penguin to the Doctor's establishment.
He had arrived at Penguin by the coach of
the previous night. Next morning discovered
to him that it was a beautiful country; so he
left orders with the people of the inn to send
on his luggage to the Lodge, and having
obtained some general directions as to his
route, set out to walk there. The air was
keen, dry, and healthy. On the horizon
towered fine blue mountains, marked with
bright spots of snow. There was youth in his

SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N. 97

veins, and poetry in his heart, so he walked
merrily along, occasionally soliloquising, as
two classes do, the very happy and the very
sad. And soliloquising, he flourished about
him a stick which had been presented to him
by Frederick Lepel, — a good heayy one, for it
had belonged to a satirical writer. To the
motion of this, he kept time occasionally, by
repeating verses which he remembered, a prac-
tice which keeps up the spirits of some people,
as jingling the loose cash in their pockets
appears to do those of the middle classes.

After walking along in this mood for some
time, and passing several of those road-side
houses to which the villagers in the north
come in winter-time to drink ale with burnt
oat-cake in it, Singleton arrived at a sharp
turn in the road. Pausing here, before
rounding the corner, to look at the country,
he suddenly spied a book lying on the grass
near the hedge. It was lying face downwards,
and had evidently been dropped by accident.
He darted to it and picked it up. It was a
Virgil, — a very neat little edition. Here was
a surprise. He scanned it carefully, and

VOL. L H

98 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

found on a blank leaf, the single word
" Lalage."

"Lalage." What meant that prettiest of
antique names, thus written in that sweetest
of antique writers 1

Singleton turned over the pages, laughing.

Then he repeated " Lalage" again and again,

making music in the lonely road, and chiming

over, from Horace's delicious ode,

" Dulce rldentem Lalagen amabo,
Dulce loquenteml"

There was a sound ; he started, and saw
before him — just turning the corner with
quick step — a young girl of seventeen — with
deep blue eyes and a complexion (to use a
comparison of Propertius') "like rose-leaves
swimming in pure milk."

" The gorgeous vision seemed
To sate the air with beauty,"

as Mr. Coventry Patmore says. She stopped
short when she saw Singleton, glanced at the
book which he held open, and seemed a little
frightened. Singleton was not so shy now
as before he saw Circe, and, besides, he had
recently got hold of an idea that he did not

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.lT. 99

observe his race sufficiently, and was deter-
mined to repair the neglect! So he took off
his cap, and bowed.

" Were you looking for this book V*

" It is my book/^ said the girl demurely.

"Lalage!" mused Singleton. "A pretty
name!'^ saying which, he continued glancing
from the book to the girl. " You must not
think me impertinent ; — but you who love
the classics will know that temporary insanity
follows from encountering a nymph.''^

She gave a little, grave smile.

" Well, Lalage, here is your book. We are
walking the same way.'' *

They moved on together, and exchanged
a few sentences more. Singleton loved girls
of an intellectual turn. The fact is, that the
affected hatred of " clever women '' which we
hear of so often, is usually the sentiment of
Prigs and Sensualists — of whom it is well
worthy.

" So you like Virgil, Lalage?"

"I do not know that I am a judge. It
sometimes seems to me, when I consider his

genius and his art, that his poem is like "

h2

100 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

" Like what, Lalage ? " asked Singleton,
stooping to pick up a chesnut which he flung
away, as a kind of distraction.

" The shield of Achilles carved in a cameo,"
said Lalage.

Singleton's blue eyes flashed upon her face
with a gleam of interest.

" It is happy. — But as to iEneas ; I confess
I have no sympathy with him, eh, Lalage ?
he is too respectable/'

" Have we any genius in the world now 1 "
asked Lalage.

" You must look for them in the maga-
zines," said Singleton, with a laugh.

Lalage sighed, " One could love a genius."

" Do you know, Lalage, I think you are
a dreamer. I am something of a dreamer
myself"

" Oh ! you will waken ; we do not wake."

Singleton was silent, and they walked on
together. He was already impressed by this
strange and beautiful creature. There is a
kind of love which we experience only when
we are very young — which has the purity of
friendship and the aspiration of poetry —

SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N. 101

which is mystical, and has no gratification
but of the soul — which passes from our being
like a summer air from the sea's face — and
which (this is the most melancholy charac-
teristic of it,) is seldom regretted.

Singleton gazed at her silently ; their eyes
met, and she blushed.

An elevation in the road revealed a valley,
with a small, quick, clear river running
through it, spanned by a wooden bridge.
A group of cottages formed a little village
on its banks ; a rugged little church, with a
flinty tower, and a roof whose red colour
gleamed in the sun, was near. Half-wa/
down the descending road w^as the entrance
of a lane, and at this Lalage stopped. Single-
ton felt his heart stopping too.

She held out her soft, white hand to bid
him good bye ; Singleton was confused, and
began to remember the directions for his
journey which he had received at Penguin.
" Then to the left," he muttered.

" Pray, Lalage, where is Oaken Lodge 1 "

" I am going to it," she said, motioning to
the lane.

102 SIITGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

"And I am going to it," said Singleton,
with tlie blood slowly mounting to liis face.
«'Tis Dr. Helot's."

" I am liis daughter," said Lalage, colouring
violently.

"And I, his pupil," answered Singleton.
" Let us come in !"

SINGLETON FONTENOT, B.N. 103

CHAPTER VII.

The nonclialance of boys ... is the healthy atti-
tude of human nature.

Emerson : Essay on Self-Reliance.

A TALL gentleman, in black, portly and
commanding, with a wliite neckcloth wrapped
round his neck like a wisp of straw, received
him. This was Dr. Helot. He was pro-
foundly courteous to Singleton ; for this was
part of his system. The Doctor treated all
his boys "like gentlemen/' and caned them
with dignity.

" You found Mr. Fontenoy looking for the
gate, eh, Lalagel" he said.

" Yes, papa," said Lalage, hesitatingly.

'* Glad to see you, Mr. Singleton," said the

104 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

Doctor. " Walk in here, and I will introduce
you to Mrs. Helot." Here lie led the way to
a parlour, in which a middle-aged lady in
spectacles was sitting at a big book. Single-
ton observed that she used a snufF-box.

" My dear, — Mr. Singleton Fontenoy." Sin-
gleton bowed, and made some considerable
impression. The fact is, that he had come to
school a great deal too late for "moulding,''
as the process of warping youth is amus-
ingly called. He had read a great deal too
much, for the intellectual part of it, and as
for the other, he had been always, for the last
few years, brought into contact with people of
the world. What a stride a man's mind
makes, even by going to one or two parties 1
Singleton saw at a glance that Mrs. Helot was
a worthy person, not quite comme ilfaut, and
he could hardly help laughing, when, glancing
to observe the Doctor, he thought what Mr.
Frederick Lepel would have said of him, —
Frederick, who did not condescend to quote
a classic, except for the purpose of making a
pun. Singleton sat down very coolly in the
awful presence, talked away, when they opened

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 105

a subject, and comported himself more like a
guest than a pupil. Mrs. Helot soon dis-
played her learning, and he soon saw how
Lalage had acquired her strange knowledge
and ideas. Ah, Lalage was a sweet puzzle ;
so fair and so dreamy ; so romantic and so
innocent, simple, and cool. Poor Lalage ! she
was a genius, and she belonged at the same
time to the Doctor's " Virgil class." Singleton
stared next morning as she came in, stationed
herself with unaffected simplicity and modesty
in her place, and went on with the dull task.

Meanwhile, while Singleton was with the
family, the rumour spread through the schooL
that the '' new boy '' had come. Oaken Lodge
had two departments for its boys, — the school-
room for the elder ; and the boys' parlour for
the younger.

Singleton was conducted in the evening into
the " school-room," for which he was judged
old enough. There he found a . group of
youngsters assembled round a fire-place, and
cooking slices of raw potato upon fragments
of broken plate. They were most of them
gentlemanly fellows, but horribly rough. In

106 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

one corner of the room stood a venerable
pulpit, where the Doctor presided during the
day ; four huge, long desks, with iron rails,
adorned the body of the apartment. The white-
washed walls were grotesquely adorned with
figures, done in charcoal and with black-lead
pencils. Singleton thought of Heatherby, and
then of Dunreddin ; then of Augusta, then
of the George Inn, in Huskdale ; then of
Lalage, and reconciled himself to his fate.
So, smiling (and like Pisistratus Caxton, he
had a pleasant laugh), he moved up to the
fire-place, and put himself into friendly rela-
tions with his schoolfellows. Jack Selwyn,
than whom no boy in Oaken Lodge was
cleverer or more caned, made room for him.
On the other side, was Harry Temple, a
" dreadful " youth, who broke the knees of his
father's horses during the holidays, and who
made wanton allusions to Mrs. Helot, which
turned the younger boys pale. These two
governed public opinion in Oaken Lodge.
They received Singleton very kindly, men-
tally agreed that he was a neat looking
fellow, thought he was doosed old to come to

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 107

school, and wondered whetlier he was a muff.
Thej were conducting a dialogue when he
came in, which the other fellows were listening
to with respectful attention.

" I tell you she's forty/' said Temple. "She
came out in — 18. Tve a brother in the
110th, (ah, you fellows should see him, — ^'gad
he's too proud to speak to the governor,) who
told me so."

" It's Sapphini we were talking about," said
Selwyn, turning to Fontenoy.

" Oh yes, she sang at a town near me,"
answered Singleton, — "Huskdale, not long
ago. I met her at supper." The fact was,,
that Lepel had taken him there, one night, in
company with a Parisian author, who was
visiting our manufacturing districts, whom he
knew.

Here was a hit ! Singleton s reputation was
established.

" You ain't joking 1" said Selwyn, who had
all a schoolboy's suspicion of anything that
looked like an attempt to humbug him.

" No ; why should IV asked Singleton,
innocently.

108 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

" By George, I shouldn't wonder, if you
knew how to smoke!" cried Temple, entliu-
siastically.

• Singleton laughed, had tried a cigar, dared
say it was a quiet amusement for a leisure
hour.

" I thought so. I began with returns," said
Temple, lowering his voice, as if he was afraid
the Doctor would hear him. " I then got on
to bird's-eye, — but Lord bless you, Selwyn,
there, smokes shag, sir ; he does, upon my
word."

At this moment, some of the potatoes on the
elegant cooking apparatus, gave signs that they
were ready for consumption, and they were
removed accordingly. Selwyn handed some
to Singleton, who partook 'of them, with
considerable amusement.

" The worst of school is ' remarked Temple,
"that one can't get anything to drink. Old
Helot gives us good enough dinners ; I don't
grumble at them, but we ought to have wine."

" I Avonder whether they have sent my lug-
gage from Penguin," said Singleton.

" Jack Roberts, go and see," said Selwyn, to

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 109,

one of the bojs, who flew instanter. He
returned, carrying a brown parcel. The lug-
gage had come, and this was part of it. They
all crowded round, as Singleton proceeded to
open it. There was a note, just on the surface.
Singleton had not seen his things packed, so
felt some curiosity to know what this was, and
why it was there. It was in the handwriting
of Frederick Lepel, and ran as follows :

** Dear Singleton,

" I never was at school — thank God — or
I should have been as ignorant as the mass of
people. But I suppose, it's like most places,
requiring all the consolations of philosophy.
Among these the ' good things of this world '
as heavy people call them, must decidedly rank.
So, I have made you up a little parcel of them,
for your private use. There, you dog ! Don't
ever say that the materialists are apt to be
selfish, again ! Good bye, you have read too
much. Open your eyes and look about you^
Tm ofi* to a blue-book. Yours,

"Fkedekick Lepel."

Singleton smiled, as he perused this cha-

110 SINGLETON PONTENOY, R.N.

racteristic note, and then proceeded amidst a
general hum of expectation to unpack the
parcel. Off came one layer of brown paper.
There was a pause. Off came another. The
excitement grew intense. OjBf came a third,
and disclosed two large brown bottles, a tin
case, some little pots, and a paper of cigars.
There was a burst of astonishment.

"Jack Roberts," cried Selwyn "run and
bolt the door." The boj bounded like a deer.

"What's the matter 1 asked Singleton,
seeing the movement, and the excited state of
the little colony.

" Oh, by George, Fontenoy," said Selwyn,
"you must be green. Do you suppose old
Helot would stand that 1 He thinks it's a
cake youVe got in the parcel. I can't fancy
who the doose put these things up for you.
My governor would'nt. Catch him ! "

" Well," said Singleton, coolly, " we will see
what they are. Have you a corkscrew 1 "

This produced a laugh. No such thing was
known in the school-room. " Well, — a knife'?"

A knife was brought. He seized one of
the bottles, held it in a slanting position,

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. Ill

and decapitated it, as neatly as Louis XVI.
This increased his popularity, enormously. A
grateful aroma came forth.

" Boys," cried Selwyn, with the impressive-
ness becoming the occasion, "if any of you
says a word about what's done here, this
evening. 111 lick him. Remember Fll keep my
word."

Singleton laughed, and poured some of the
liquid into a mug, bearing the word " John "
in gold letters, and handed it to Selwyn, who
assumed the tone of a connoisseur, with an air
that would have delighted Mr. T .

" By George," said Selwyn, " its a liqueur%
It's Ouragoa ! " He smacked his lips. " This
refreshes a man, in this hole ! It's good too."
The little boys looked at each other, with won-
der, and one or two glanced at the door,
uneasily. "What would the boys' parlour
fellows think if they knew it ? " The novelty
of all this amused Singleton exceedingly. He
proceeded to administer small doses of the
liqueur to the crowd.

"Does liqueur make people tipsy?" said
Selwyn.

112 SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N.

" Stuff/* said Temple ; "of course not."

" You had better hide these things in a
safe place/' said Selwjn.

Shortly afterwards, the time when it was
necessary to go to bed arrived, and Singleton
had to sleep in the same room with Selwyn
and Temple. The illicit supplies were care-
fully concealed. Singleton thought his bed a
miserable little crib. When he woke he missed
the luxurious conveniences he had been accus-
tomed to at home ; but when we are young
we can all be hardy if we like, however we
may have been brought up.

" You must rough it out, old fellow/' said
Selwyn.

" Violets can grow anywhere," Singleton
replied. The bell rung ; they bounded down
stairs. The Doctor had taken his place in
the pulpit, and the day began as usual by the
reading of prayers.

Then the Doctor proceeded to examine
Singleton, that he might place him in a class.
Singleton had come to school, as Gibbon says
he went to Oxford, " with a stock of erudition
that might puzzle a doctor, and a degree of

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 113

ignorance, of which a schoolboy might be
ashamed." The Doctor was somewhat sur-
prised, and a little puzzled, accordingly. Sin-
gleton would bungle at an irregular verb, that
Selwyn knew in painful detail, but Singleton
had read the disputes about the Homeric
poems, and was yery well acquainted with all
sorts of theories. His peculiar education made
him quite a phenomenon in Oaken Lodge.
The Doctor placed him in the " Virgil
class" — next Lalage. It was quite a pic-
ture to see the fair Lalage assuming her
place in the morning, and going through the
regular number of lines. None of the boys'
thought it anything remarkable ; even Masters
Selwyn and Temple, the leaders of the school,
never alluded to her, except as in the " Virgil
class." As yet, they were in that stage when
females generally are rather a subject of
puerile contempt than otherwise ; and when
precocity displays itself in an aflPection for the
ruder vices, and a respect for jockeys and
gamekeepers. As for the Doctor, who was
pedantic in everything but what related to his
dinner, he looked on his daughter as a most
yoL. I. I

114 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

promising scliolar, and probably thought it a
pity that be could not send ber to Oxford to
take a degree.

Tbe very first day, Singleton bad an oppor-
tunity of seeing discipline enforced in tbe
orthodox way. Selwyn bad, with tbe live-
liness which distinguished him, overset a desk,
and with the impudence which sometimes
accompanies liveliness, laughed at the doctor's
remonstrance. Dr. Helot descended from the
pulpit, armed with bis cane, approached Sel-
wyn, buttoned up bis coat, took a pinch of
snufi*to refresh himself, and then seizing the
youth by the collar, commenced a hearty
castigation. Singleton, who had never before
witnessed the chastisement of anything but a
pointer, felt a thrill of anger and degradation.
Selwyn received the blows with Spartan indif-
ference, and as soon as the doctor's back was
turned, winked to the boys near him, to their
intense delight and amusement.

Tbe " Virgil class '^ came up that afternoon,
at their usual hour. Singleton looked over
tbe book with Lalage. His translating pleased
tbe Doctor. It was accurate enough, and

SIKGLETON fONTENOy, E.N. 115

then it was graphic sometimes, which cheered
the old gentleman, who was glad of a change
from the dry formal style of rendering which
he was accustomed to hear, in his dreary jt^os^
mortem examinations of the text, day after
day.

When school was over, the boys of Oaken
Lodge had liberty to go whereyer they pleased,
for several hours, and Singleton availed himself
of this to roam over that wild country, with
its deep, bright, swift rivers, pregnant with the
life of the North ; and to wander by the banks
of those broad lakes worthy to reflect the blue
skies — rivers and lakes which he did not after-
wards forget — by the waters of the degenerate
Seaman der, or among the gardens of the land
of the rising sun !

In a short time, he felt that the rude life at
school was doing him good. He grew less
dreamy ; he grew stronger and healthier. Our
training must be rough, if we would be fit for
the work of the world, and contented with its
daily life.

To dine with a relish at the Syssitia, we
must first bathe in the Eurotas !

I2

116 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

CHAPTER VIII.

Bat how this love came to be produced in me so
early is a hard question !

Cowley, Essay on Myself.

In a short time, the Doctor's experienced
eje taught him that Master Siugleton Fon-
tenoy \yas gaining a great ascendancy over
the other boys. Fortunately for all parties,
the supplies sent him by his friend Lepel were
consumed without any dangerous result. Sel-
wyn was afflicted with a settled melancholy
for a few days after their disappearance, but
he recovered. Temple, having attained his
favourite ambition, to be able to smoke "shag,"
had some thoughts of trying opium, which he
believed a higher flight, but Singleton dissuaded

SINGLETON- FONTENOT, R.N. 117

him. Both these youths thought Singleton a
capital fellow, and Selwjn made a point of
ostentatiously walking with his arm round his
neck directly after school was over. This
gave Singleton fashion.

His influence was easily accounted for.
First of all, there arrived one morning a copy
of the " Huskdale Courier," with an account of
the great meeting at which he had been pre-
sent; and Singleton was astonished to lind
himself mentioned as "one of the gentlemen
we observed on the platform." He showed
this to Selwyn. Selwyn preserved his calm-
ness as became the dignity of the Cock of ther
School, but was obviously deeply impressed by
it. The paper was handed round ; the boys
were delighted with it. It was kept, however,
carefully out of sight of the Doctor. The
speech of the ambitious Frederick was re-
ported at great length in the columns, and
specially recommended to public perusal
in a leader, which, curiously enough, bore
some resemblance to the style of the speech
itself — at least Singleton thought so. " Tre-
mendous cheers" were put in at due intervals.

118 SIKGLETOF FONTENOT, R.N.

Singleton told Selwjn that this was the
Frederick who had sent the supplies. Selwjn
replied, that it was just what might be ex-
pected from such a doosed clever fellow.
Temple hoped he might never want a regalia.
Both, however, agreed that it was a pitj he
stuck up for the snobs, under which name they
comprehensively included all who were not
"gentlemen's sons.'* Singleton was amused
at their political zeal. He began to see what
advantage he had derived from his different
culture. Brought up by themselves, boys will
learn to think soonest. In fact, Singleton
found he learned little or nothing at Oaken
Lodge. The use of the place to him was
more that of a gymnasium than of an academy.
But it did him good; and most of all, by its
bringing him in contact with these boys. He
had no time to dream when he was at cricket.

In spite of the hate of learning which is all
that at so many schools boys learn, they have
a kind of respect for it. Singleton was liked
for his proficiency in knowledge, perhaps as
much as for anything else. He had a knack
of writing (as they called it) which was found

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 119

rerj serviceable in the production of themes;
and of these, he sometimes turned out a dozen
orthodox specimens — with an old quotation
and all, complete — in the course of an evening.
He crammed many of the fellows in their
tasks, and in fact it soon began to be popularly
believed that Singleton Fontenoy knew as
much as the Doctor. This was a dangerous
and deadly heresy. Then, Singleton had not
yet been caned. Some of the boys started a
notion that the Doctor was afraid to cane him.
From that time his position was critical.
One or two, who were jealous of him, shook
their heads, and whispered knowingly, " Time
would show/' "Perhaps he'd stand a caning
as well as anybody."

While this was a matter of speculation, an
affair happened which seemed likely to bring
it to a speedy decision. The Doctor's edition
of \iEschylus will be remembered. Well, at
the time that celebrated work appeared (which
was before Singleton's day) the "Pimlico
Review" was in all its glory. The "Pimlico
Review" had been started originally to support
the Church (which it did in a most unchristian

120 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

style), and to maintain the cause of aristo-
cracy, which it did by employing the language
of Billingsgate. Dr. Helot having, unhappily,
a leaning towards Whiggism, the Pimlico Re-
viewers found out that he knew no Greek,
and, in fact, massacred the work >vith the
most unscrupulous ferocity.

One day, Frederick Lepel, hunting up old
books at Dunreddin, in a leisure hour, dropped
upon this number, and with his customary love
of amusement, forwarded it to Singleton, at
Oaken Lodge. The boys, who now learned for
the first time that their preceptor had been an
author, were charmed with the article. The
Doctor was treated in it with a contempt which
they of course thought exquisitely amusing.
Selwyn perched himself, one afternoon, shortly
after its arrival, upon a pump in the play-
ground, and began reading it out aloud to an
admiring audience.

" Listen here, my boys," cried Sehvyn, who
had been caned that morning, and consequently
was just in the humour for the performance :

''' As to this man Helot's (listen to that !)
remarks on the Ellipsis, they are quite on a

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 121

par with the rest of the performance — fatiguing
from their dulness, and offensive from their
ignorance/ " (There was a great laugh at this,
when suddenly a voice cried, " The Doctor! the
Doctor !") " Now, my boys," Selwyn was
going on, when the portly figure of Dr. Helot
was observed coming up. He had divined
from their gestures, that something which par-
took of the nature of mischief was going for-
ward, and he held in his hand that cane which
had so long preserved discipline in Oaken Lodge.
" What have we here V he asked, approach-
ing the pump. Selwyn jumped down, amidst
the eager glances of the crowd of awestruck
boys, and handed it to him. The Doctor, who
was short-sighted, held up the book to look at
it, close to his eyes. One little boy tittered —
he could not help it. He was a comic writer
in embryo ! — The Doctor's eye caught him.
He caned him as a preliminary. He then took
a long look at the book, — shut it, — opened it
again, — shut it — took a pinch of snuff. Perhaps
that reminiscence of the olden time, in spite
of its nature, suggested pleasant thoughts !
Perhaps, it brought to the old pedagogue's

122 SINGLETON FONTENOTy K.N.

heart, a tender recollection of the day when he
first met Mrs. Helot, and the black past was
perhaps lighted by that light !

At ^11 events, he took the book down from
his eyes, and held it in his hand by his side,
very quietly, without any of the abrupt ges-
tures of indignation which his pupils expected.
They could not understand his feelings. But
Singleton, with the quickness of sympathy
of which I have spoken before, did, and felt a
pang of compunction.

" Who gave you this V said the Doctor to
Selwyn, very quietly.

Singleton came forward to anticipate him.
(" Now for it,'' thought some of the boys.) " I
did. Sir,'' he said, calmly.

The Doctor paused, as if in doubt. Single-
ton felt that he was perhaps more hurt than
angry. So he added, "It was sent to me,
without my wish or knowledge." (" Ah, the
sneak !" thought the jealous boys. Boys mis-
understand one, almost as much as men.)

The Doctor said, " I will retain it for the
present," and walked away. The boys looked
at each other.

SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.F. • 123

" I say, old fellow,'* said Selwyn to Single-
ton, " he^s onlj waiting for a chance, now, to
give it jou !"

Singleton laughed, and coloured.

"Will JOU stand it?" asked one of the
boys.

Singleton saw, from the curiosity with which
they all looked up at him, as the inquiry was
made, that something was expected from him,
out of the common way. Here was a dignified
crisis !

It now became the engrossing question in
Oaken Lodge — when Singleton Fontenoy would
be caned ? Was the Doctor afraid ?

Meanwhile, Singleton stood next Lalage in
the "Virgil class," as usual. They looked
oyer the same book. How Singleton loved
that dull task ! Delightful contiguity ! There
was something in his affection for Lalage which
he could not understand. It was different
from the reyerential, familiar kindness he felt
towards Augusta Lepel. It had none of the
heat which had transiently radiated through
his moral atmosphere when the fair Circe
crossed his orbit. Never had he attempted

124 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

such a metaphysical problem as its explanation !
It was spiritual more than ardent. It was a
flirtation of the soul. He thought often of
what she had said to him, — " we do not wake."
These were pleasant mornings, when Singleton
stood bj her side, reading Virgil ; and fancied
that her breath was an air from the Eljsian
Fields, of which the poet spoke.

One morning Singleton had committed
some slight offence, and was ordered to learn
bj heart a hundred lines of Persius — a poet
who, perhaps, has never been understood
properly since he wrote, bj anybody but
Casaubon. (He has been edited often enough,
to be sure, but that has nothing to do with
it.) Singleton was summoned to repeat them.
He would probably have been in a difficulty,
when Lalage, gliding past the pulpit, dexte-
rously fastened a piece of paper to it ; Sin-
gleton saw that it contained several of the
lines suggestively arranged ; by cautiously
glancing at them, now and then, he got
through the task safely. Pleasant Lalage 1
Had her father become cognizant of this, the
caning question would probably have been

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 125

settled for ever. The worthy Doctor, perhaps,
was scarcely conscious that his daughter was
pretty, and in his care that she should be a
scholar, had forgotten that she was a girl.

Now for a scene ; — and the sequel.

In Oaken Lodge, there was a garden ; in
the garden, a shrubbery ; in the shrubbery, a
summer-house. In the summer-house, sat
Lalage. It was a cold but sunny morning.
She had a book in her hand, which she played
with, occasionally, as if it were a fan.

The dead leaves on the gravel- walk fluttered.
Singleton came in. They used to meet here,
now and then — to prepare the lesson of th^
day. But the Doctor did not know this
instance of their zeal.

"Good morning, Lalage. Let me wrap
your shawl round you."

" Are you cold V

" Not while I am with you."

" What will you do, when you are away ?"
asked Lalage, simply. Singleton had never
thought of that. All he knew was, that he
had a feeling for her, something between
friendship and his love of the Pleiades.

126 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

"I cannot think of that.'' Lalage broke
into a laugh. Singleton thought of lilies.

" What are we reading, this morning ?" he
said, with a smile.

" The same as usual,'' said Lalage, with a
blush.

" I wonder what the Naiads were 1" said
Singleton, opening a topic.

"It's a curious subject," said Lalage, ab-
sently. They were advancing in their usual
style ! And there now occurred one of those
fatal pauses, which used to embarrass them
exceedingly.

" I have been speculating lately on the an-
cient mythology," said the erudite Singleton,
looking at Lalage, and colouring — though he
could not understand why. " I do not believe
in the theory which would have it that they dei-
fied the operations of nature — that, for example,
corn became Ceres ; or fountains, because they
were beneficent, Nymphs. They deified them-
selves, I think. For example, Lalage, I think
that some girl, like you, (excuse the illustra-
tion, for the sake of philosophy !) looked, one
day, into a fountain, saw herself there, and.

SINGLETO^PT PONTENOY, R.N. 127

naturally enougli, believed that it was a
Naiad!"

" Do joTx, really V said Lalage, with great
simplicity. ^* Perhaps it was so" Lalage
was the most delightful of pedants. She was
very grave and very pretty. To adopt an
appropriate illustration, — she was an Elzevir
edition of Minerva.

"Lalage," said Singleton, after a little.
" You know what the Sorfes Virgiliance are,
don't you? You dip into Virgil at random,
and the first sentence your eye catches,
has a prophetic reference to your destiny.

" The Persians have the same idea, and try
it with Hafiz," said Lalage.

" Well, give me the Virgil, and we will try
our fate,^^ pursued Singleton, gently taking the
book from her hand. Their fingers met, and
they both blushed and laughed again.

At this moment, the bell rang for school,
but they neither of them heard it.

Singleton took the volume. " Don't do it!"
said Lalage, turning a little pale.

"Pshaw, Lalage," he said, "are you so
superstitious 1" He looked at her. She
had lost her colour a little, and how beau-

128 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

tiful her rich blue eyes looked in contrast
with the delicate pallor of her cheek !

He took the book in his left hand. He
opened it suddenly, — and Lalage saw him
blush and laugh again.

" What is it, Singleton V

" Oh, nothing. What a stupid custom it
is!" Lalage saw that he had popped upon
these apt words in the 8th Eclogue :

..." quid non speremus amantes ?"
What may not we lovers hope !

Singleton flung down the book on the seat,
and was silent. But Lalage coloured and
looked grave . .

" It was only fun," said Singleton, demurely,
and fearing that she was a little shocked.
But it was a more serious feeling that poor
Lalage had 1 Suddenly, her eyes seemed to
double in lustre, and Singleton saw a few
bright tears on her cheek. At that sight an
electric emotion affected him. His boyish
playfulness was gone. He seized her hand,
and pressed it to his lips, and he felt his heart
throb, as if it were growing.

. . . There was a noise of voices, a rattling

SINGLETOK FONTENOY, R.N. 129

on the gravel walk, a trampling and a hum !
Thej started, and in an instant thej saw from
their summer house — Dr. Helot, Mrs. Helot, —
the usher, — a servant maid, and a throng of
eager, astonished boys approaching! It was
a crisis. The Doctor arrived first, with his
wondering train behind him!

He uttered no word. He quietly laid his
hand on Singleton's shoulder, and walked him
away. The boys in silent expectation, scarcely
breathing in the intensity of their excitement,
attended them. There was a faint cry behind,
which Singleton knew to be Lalage's voice.
At that sound he felt an emotion, — but it waft
not fear.

The party gained the school-room. The
door was shut. The usher, a small, vulgar
man who had never liked Singleton, took his
seat. Singleton felt a determined tranquillity.
It was a moment of sublime emotion. Every
nerve in his body was screwed up to a pitch
of intensity of which he could not have believed
his constitution capable. The eyes of all the
boys were upon him, and they saw the dark

VOL. I. K

130 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

pupils of his blue eyes dilate, and beam with
a tranquil fire. Now was the time. His
reputation in the school for ever, depended
upon his conduct now.

The Doctor looked round the room, and
placed Singleton in the middle of the floor.
Then he took down his cane from its well
known place, buttoned up his coat, took snuflf,
and drew a long breath.

"You haye promoted insubordination in
this school," said the Doctor, "you have
assumed a position incompatible with your
place as a pupil; and you have dared to
tamper with the feelings of my little girl
Lalage."

" Your two first assertions are false, but let
them pass. Your last is false, and I repudiate
it with disgust and disdain," said Singleton,
his shrill voice ringing through the room, in
tones that made many a heart beat high.

The Doctor made a kind of rush towards him
with his cane. Singleton sprung at it, snatched
it, flung it through the. window like a Parthian
arrow. By a lucky chance, there was a heavy
ruler near him : he seized it, and bounded on

SIKGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 131

a desk. The boys near him made way. The
Doctor advanced towards him.

" Wretched pedant !" cried Singleton, *' if
you dare disgrace me by your touch, by the
God whose image you would profane, I will
lay you lifeless !"

The Doctor stood speechless for a moment.
Then recovering himself, and drawing himself
up, he said —

" You are mad. You can stay here no
more : you are expelled !"

There was a movement of astonishment
through the school.

"You may come down," said the Doctoi^
calmly ; " I will not touch you."

Singleton gave a short, bitter laugh. He
descended, and flung the ruler down.

"You must associate with these boys no
more," pursued Dr. Helot. " Till you leave,
you must stay elsewhere. Follow me."

Singleton followed him mechanically; for
his passion was subsiding, and a cold, sickly
feeling of disgust succeeding to it. They
reached a room in another part of the building,
a small, ill-furnished chamber, facing the back

k2

132 SINGLETON PONTENOY, R.N.

part of the house ; and there he was left —
alone, and locked in.

It was a dull apartment. He looked out of
the window : his eye rested on a bleak pad-
dock. The grass was short and scanty ; the
liedges were bare and ragged ; the air was
heavy and misty. Ever alive to external cir-
cumstances, and apt from his organization to
be the slave of a cloud, or the lover of a rose,
he was acutely affected by the melancholy
picture. And the revulsion was coming upon
him. He began to feel that dull ground-
swell of the emotions, heavy, tedious, and
sickly, that comes after a storm of passion : he
gazed out of the window, feeling his hot brow
chilled by the cold touch of the glass.

How the glorious fancies of his youth had
been profaned by his anger ! All the poetry
he knew seemed to reproach him for such vulgar
emotion. This was his first attempt at Action;
and what a degradation ! — A schoolboy's rebel-
lion against a pedagogue's rod ! " Oh brave !''
And what of Lalage 1 The thought was too
much for him : he put his hands to his face
and wept ; he pined and sickened in his mise-
rable little room.

SINGLETON" PONTENOY, R.N". 133

We are surrounded, after all, by the elements
of comedy : every Oplielia^s grave has its grave-
digger. Singleton looked round the room for
a book ; he found one. By a refinement of
cruelty, unworthy of our age, the only book in
that chamber was Dr. Helot's ^schylus !
Singleton, as he picked it up, burst into a
laugh. He looked into the Latin preface,
which, like compositions of the kind, was made
lip in a Harlequin style, of patches of Latinity
from the old authors.

While drearily perusing this, he heard some-
thing strike one of the panes of the window.
He ran to it, and flung it up. Scarcely had
he done so, w^hen a stone flew past him, in,
^nd fell upon the floor. He picked it up ; it
was wrapped round with white paper ; he
xmrolled it, and read the following : —

" You're a brick ! I always said so. Jonesby
thought perhaps not : I said, certain. Old
Helot's quite floored : Pallidus ird, as the
grammar says. We're carving it on the desks.
Where will you stop at Penguin for the coach ?
Somebody wants to know. I am silent : real
oak never splits, S."

134 SINGLETOK FONTENOT, R.N.

In this brief efFusion, he had no difficulty in
recognising the genius of his friend Selwjii.
The somebody must be Lalage. Come what
might, he could not leave the county without
seeing her again.

He recollected a pretty little inn in Pen-
guin, called " The Nightingale's Nest," which,
being of a fanciful nature, he had stopped at,
solely because it was so named. He had a
pencil in his pocket : he tore a blank leaf out
of the ^schylus, wrote this name upon it,
adding that he would wait there, and availed
himself of the stone to throw it out of the
window, ^j this time it was getting dark.
He had no fancy for sitting there in the dark,
during a winter's night ; so he commenced a
furious ringing at the bell, and rushed out of
the door as soon as it was opened by the
servant, w^ho came to see what was the matter.
Descending, he met the Doctor ; and coolly
telhng him that he was going, and that he
should send for his luggage in the morning,
rushed out of the house. No effort was made
to detain so desperate a character; and in a
short time he found himself on the road ta

SINGLETON FONTENOY^ R.N. 135

Penguin — that road where, not very many
weeks before, he had met Lalage.

Selwyn stole out after him, and running up,
put his hand on his shoulder. Singleton was
somewhat affected to see him, and shook hands
with him heartily.

" Bravo, Fontenoy : you're a good fellow.
By Jove, how you gave it him ! But your
governor won't lick you when you get home,
will he?"

Singleton laughed at the bare idea of his
dignified parent's condescending to anything
of the sort. For, indeed, Mr. Fontenoy, of
Heatherby, though under certain circumstances
he would have let a son starve, would have no
more struck him than he would have voted to
bring in a Whig for the county.

" No fear of that, Selwyn. T wish you
could come with me : we should have capital
fun."

Selwyn shook his head mournfully.

" That's no go, old boy, I'm afraid."

He was one of nine children of a strict old
general officer on half-pay, younger son of an
ancient and honourable but poor family, and

136 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

was obliged to be very cautious and parti-
cular.

"Could jou come on to Penguin, and be
back in time for bed-time ? He does not
know you are with me V

" Yes, I think so, if we make haste.''

" Come along, then, and by Jove, Til send a
cold goose back to the school-room fellows for
a present!" cried Singleton, and away they ran.
They ran with the utmost speed, and were
nearly out of breath by the time they reached
the inn, having accomplished the journey by
alternate fits of walking and running violently.

Singleton ordered some dinner and wine,
and then they began to talk about Lalage.
Selwyn was quiet and sensible, and rather sur-
prised Singleton, by the tact and sense he
showed in speaking on the matter. The truth
is, he was one of those young gentlemen every-
where to be met with now-a-days, who take
extraordinary pains, not to cultivate really
promising abilities. I class the wasting of
good talents among the decided phenomena of
our day.

"Lalage would like to see you before you

SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N. 137

go, I dare saj. It's quite natural, and I don't
see how it's improper. The Doctor is angrj
just now and unreasonable. If she did not
see jou, she would likely pine and mope ; if
she does, jou bid her good bye, and part with
a fair understanding. Lalage's a good girl,"
said the youthful Selwyn, thoughtfully. " I
don't understand her myself." He was silent,
and Singleton thanked him.

Dinner was brought. Selwyn had dined,
but attacked some wine, and went on talking
with many an anxious look at the clock.
Time was jogging on. Selwyn's eyes twinkled
pathetically, as he sipped his wine. •

** I wish I was like you, old fellow. Some-
how what I'ye learnt at old Helot's, is'nt the
same use to me. Hang it, I should like to do
-some good — Well, we shall see. I think I must
be going," he said, for the tenth time; and then
hesitating, blushing, and blundering, as the
English always do, when they are going to say
a sincere and affectionate thing. He went on.
^' I'm sorry to part with you, old boy. I always
liked you from the first. The fact is, do you
know, — you're a little like a sister of mine in the

138 SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N.

face !" Singleton blushed, and laughed mer-
rily. Thej got the cold roast goose, and
wrapped him in ample folds of newspaper.
Singleton made Selwjn take a parting glass of
wine, accompanied him to the door, shook
hands, — and away went his school friend.

He returned in a gloomy mood to the
coffee-room. Two gentlemen (commercial gen-
tlemen that is), had stationed themselves be-
fore the fire, and drawn up their chairs to
make themselves comfortable. Both had bushy
and glossy whiskers ; both wore showy trou-
sers with very wide stripes. They talked
party politics, and discussed the corn laws
fluently enough. They abused the landlords,
and inveighed against rents. They sneered at
the Church, and panegyrised the cotton trade.
Each had read the Corn Law Catechism, and
had heard of Bentham. Each had a fluent
tongue, and great hardihood of assertion : — so
that, for aught I know to the contrary, each
may by this time, be a "leader'' of the people,
and looking to a seat in the Cabinet.

They made room for Singleton with much
politeness. He sat down by the fire, glad to

R.N. 139

get a chance of escaping from the tyranny of
his thoughts.

"Things are very bad in the North, sir/'
said one of the travellers, civilly.

" I am afraid so," Singleton replied.

" And particularly in Rockshire,'' (this was
Singleton's county). "Nothing but turnings
out, stopped mills, and riots."

" Ah, the landowners there is a bad lot,''
said the other traveller, (Singleton winced
slightly.) " I know the country well, from
Bleartown to Huskdale."

" I have often thought it a pity, that the
aristocracy do not take more pains to assert
their position and discharge its duties,'' said
Singleton, thoughtfully.

" Oh, their day's gone by, gone by, sir,"
said the first speaker, shaking his head with a
calm smile.

" Why gone by V said Singleton. " I see
no reason why it should be gone by, more
than the day of the merchant or the lawyer.
Their race is not degenerate any more than
those of the other classes in the nation. They
have great property which cannot be taken

140 SINGLETON FONTENOY, B.N.

from them, more than that of the cotton lords
or the bankers. Their order is acquiring a
perpetual accession of strength. What thej
want is an impulse from within."

" But the institution, sir."

" What of it V asked our hero, who was at
that age, when we sometimes get pugnacious
in argument, whether our heart be in the cause
or not.

" Why, — it had its origin in barbarous
times."'*

"As to that," said Singleton, quickly, and
tossing off a thimble-full of sherry with the
air of a large proprietor, " as to origin in bar-
barous times — so had religion, so had mon-
archy, so had filial affection, oratory, and
law, and half the divine things the world pos-
sesses. The question is, what are barbarous
times'? Besides, aristocracy has changed its
forms since then, and is adapting itself to new
times : and the spirit of it being true or pro-
foundly natural (which is the same thing) a
change in form is all that is necessary to it.
Why, factories and their institutions had their
* See Godwin's book on political philosophy.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N. 141

origin in what you call civilized times, and
pretty institutions they are!"

" To look at it in the abstract f began the
traveller, with a corn-law-lecturer air.

" Why not in the concrete V said Singleton,
wickedly.

The traveller's face assumed a puzzled ex-
pression ; but he recovered himself, and began
a long harangue. Singleton's eyes were fixed
on the fire. A strange feeling came over him.
The red coals seemed swimming. Suddenly,
he fancied he saw Lalage in the room. A
wondrous oblivion succeeded: — something
touched him od the shoulder. Hefstarted up.
The fire was low. A waiter was by his side.
The travellers' chairs were empty!

" It's nearly twelve o'clock, sir. Your bed-
room's quite ready."

Oh, Jupiter! Oh, Somnus! Oh, shameful
want of breeding! Oh, gross dereliction of
gentlemanly duty! The youth of my hero
must be his excuse, for this breach of all po-
liteness. He had fallen asleep, in the middle
of the traveller's harangue !

142 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

Three days passed, and Singleton was still
in " The Nightingale's Nest/' His luggage
had arrived next morning, and no doubt Dr.
Helot thought that he had long since departed
for Huskdale, per coach. But Singleton, we
see, still lingered. He could not go about
much, for fear the Doctor should hear that
he was in the neighbourhood. So he stayed
in, read the newspapers, scribbled yerses, wrote
to his friend Fred Lepel, and looked at himself
in the glass.

But "Nemesis favours genius," as Mr.
Disraeli has it, and as any one may learn who
chooses, as Juvenal says,

unum civem donare Sibyllae*

To add one reader to his " Sybil's" lot.

(a pun which is at the service of any diner-
out of the higher class.) On the fourth day,
the landlady, a portly, and what is called a
" motlierly'' female, that is to say, she was big
enough to whip ten children efficiently, came
to Singleton with a smile of mystery, and
whispered that a young lady was asking for

* Juvenal, Sat. iii. 3.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 143

him. Singleton bluslied fire, and stammered
out a muttered request for some room to see
her in.

"Mj own parlour lias a fire in it/' said
the landlady, in a kindly tone, and led the
way to a neat little room, where Singleton
waited with the most intense anxiety and
nervousness.

In came Lalage. What a smile, and how
rosy she looked ! The weather was very cold,
but no frost could blight the roses in her cheek,
any more than it could the violets in her eyes.

" How are you?" said Singleton, dehghted,
and she came up to the fire, and took her
pretty white hands out of *her mufi", and
warmed them there.

" Hush,'' said Lalage, " I have come to
Penguin, on business for papa. He thinks
you are away."

" This is very sad, Lalage," said Singleton,
with a mournful air.

Lalage sat down, and pushed back her
bonnet, so that her brown ringlets tumbled
forward. She smiled a little, and Singleton
long remembered the peculiar sweetness that

144 SINGLETOIT FONTENOY, R.N.

played across her mouth. But it vanished
immediately, and she spoke.

" I came determined to preserve my calm-
ness, she said, sadly, " but I cannot pretend
that I am not very sorry we are to part.''

*' Thank you, Lalage. I wish I could
express how miserable I am. I was right
when I said we were both dreamers. We
have wandered among the Elysian shades,
and we are passing out of the ivory
portal.''

" Ah, we shall never discuss a lesson again !"
said Lalage.

"I shall never forget what I have learned
from you," said Singleton.

" The future is all dark," said Lalage.

" We are both young. You stand to me
for all that is divine in nature. You are to
me a religion. I shall turn towards you when
I kneel to pray," said Singleton.

And so these young dreamers proceeded.
Fools will think they were mad, but wise men
will see that they were only unfortunate. For
wise men dream, and fools only snore.

" Lalage, I love you with my soul. I plight

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 145

jou mj faith. A little time and we shall
meet again."

They joined hands.

An hour had passed. It was over, and
Lalage was gone.

Singleton sat by himself and mused. He
had nothing to detain him now in this part of
the world, so he determined to go home, and
accordingly took his place in that night's coach
to Huskdale.

It was winter, and such a bitter winter as
is only seen in these northern regions. The
roads were almost paved with hard and glit-
tering ice, and dark and wild they seemed to
him as he was whirled along, save where the
roaring fire of some blacksmith's forge cast a
red glare upon the way.

The moon rose, sharp, clear, and of a pale
gold. Singleton saw through the coach win-
dows one of the most beautiful appearances of
external nature, moonlight upon snow. Moon-
light on the sea is rich, various, and brilliant ;
on the snow it has an appearance exquisitely
delicate, but melancholy. It lights and tinges
with a tender hue, the cold masses which it

VOL. I. L

146 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

cannot melt. Beautiful and ineffectual type
of a higher heavenly light, that so often falls
powerless on the world !

Singleton, whose only fellow-passenger
inside, was a benevolent and intellectual looking
old gentleman a quaker of Kendal, slept
during the night, miserably and restlessly.
In the morning his companion, after the inter-
change of a few civil phrases, said smilingly,

" Thou thinkest much of the ancients, young
friend?"

" I scarcely know,^^ answered our hero, sur-
prised, "why?"

" Thou didst frequently murmur * Lalage'
last night.''

Singleton coloured, and muttered something
about " dreams/'

His eyes were dull and heavy. Poor boy I
He had been crying in his sleep.

SINGLETON FONTBNOT, E.N. 147

CHAPTER IX.

But thou,^ — what dost thou here,
In the old man's peaceful hall ?

Macaulay. Prophecy of Capys.

" Fredeeick/^ said Mrs. Lepel to her hope- *
ful son, " could not jou make it convenient to
receive that deputation to-morrow in the
kitchen T

Now the patriot ought to have been, con-
sidering his position and professions generally,
rather indignant at this proposal, but he had
far too keen a relish for fun to be anything of
the sort. So he jumped from the ottoman
where he was lounging with a book in his
hand, and burst into a loud laugh. This
laugh, indeed, was unusually hearty for Fred^

148 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

erick, and proved by that fact alone that it was
indulged at somebody's expense. For he most
enjoyed laughter, as Diogenes enjoyed wine, at
the cost of others.

"Why, mamma, that would scarcely do, I
am afraid. You are facetious this evening."

" Well, I tell you, Fred, the last deputation
(so the servants say) was almost an irruption.
The state of the parlour was something terrific.
One member of the deputation in pointing out
the beauties of your grandmother, whose por-
trait (one of Gainsborough's best) is over the
fire-place, touched it with the end of his
stick. If she had lived to see that company
there !"

" And," added Augusta, *^ my Views of the
East, which unfortunately lay on the table
open, bear the mark of some gigantic thumb."
And she laughed, for Augusta believing her
brother quite earnest and honest in his poli-
tical deeds, and being too sensible and too
good to have any afifectations which would
interfere with what seemed right, bore no ill-
will against the thumb in question, or its
owner. Too good, I say, for it may be re-

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 149

marked that affectation as often comes from
badness as from silliness of character ; and
thus, reader, when jou see a Yerj affected
person, besides being pretty sure (which you
no doubt will be) that he is a fool, you may
also feel tolerably certain that he is a rogue.
Whence or wherefore ? Because mere vanity
alone will not make a person affected ; for
affectation implies a disregard of the feelings
of others, and very often a thorough design to
hurt them.

Frederick had become quite a public cha-
racter. His speech at the great meeting had
gone through the empire. Newspapers com-
mented on him ; pamphleteers abused him.
Although, of course, he could not expect to
engage long the attention of the country, yet
he made a far more intense impression on his
own neighbourhood. In Huskdale, for exam-
ple, he became a personage. The radicals
thought they had discovered a new leader.
The liberality of his sentiments made him
popular. He even began to mix secretly with
some of the more dangerous democrats, who
are to be found in England, as well as in other

150 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

countries — Frenchmen who have invented
pikes for resisting cavahy, and Polish refugees
who have a project for blowing up Westminster
Bridge, at a cost of ten and sixpence. There
are many such strange characters to be met
with by the philosophical, from enthusiasts
who have arranged everything about the Pro-
visional Government except how to establish
it, — to calculators who propose to destroy the
Oligarchy, by the agency of penny subscrip-
tions. Now Frederick was only a radical
" Nor.-Nor.-West.^' In tendency, he certainly
belonged to the " Manchester School,'^ but
primarily he was neither a whig, tory, nor
radical, but a Frederick Lepel. He loved
progress, but he also loved himself ; and per-
haps would have cared little for the march of
intellect, if he thought there was no chance of
his being at the head of it, or at least carrying
a colour. Then he had a due regard for his
family position into the bargain, and though
very indifferent to ancestry, birth, and so on,
and quite careless about the possession of these
advantages in his associates; still it was the
fact, that he came from a very good family.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 151

He could not help it. It was not his fault.
But such was the fact, and people knew it.

In truth, perhaps, it may be said of this
young gentleman, that, as some youths go to
sea, not because nature at all destined them
for sailors, but simply from a love of adven-
ture, and a vague idea of doing something
wonderful — so he embarked in agitation from
a distaste for the regular hum-drum course of
life. Since his return, he had seen quite
enough of the young gentlemen in neat shoot-
ing-coats, who wandered about the country,
with scarcely a question but " Do you hunt *? '^
in their mouths, and scarcely an idea beyond
it in their heads, to be quite sure that their
society and occupations would not be sufficient
for him. Then a great part of his youth, as
we know, had been spent in travel, which had
made him acquainted with remarkable men.
His mind was powerful, and what is even
more important, active. He had read and
speculated a great deal.

The reader has doubtless set him down as
without principle. But we must remember
that now-a-days principle is a kind of ballast,

152 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

like the ballast in a balloon, which must be
thrown overboard if the traveller wishes to
rise. It keeps vou steady, but it keeps you
down. Again, it must not be supposed that
he had no good points. He was very good-
natured, and (to use the balloon illustration
again) if he had found it necessary to throw
you out after the ballast, he would have
delayed it to the last moment, and treated
you with the utmost kindness till the fatal
time. If he was capable of vices, he had no
meanness, and that is something to say for
him in these days. Finally, we must remem-
ber the age in which he was born, and the
circumstances disadvantageous to education
set forth in the motto prefixed to this part of
my work. These act differently on different
minds, and while some are made by them only
unhappy, others are made mischievous.

" Well, Fred, you will keep your friends in
order, then," said his mother, resuming the
conversation.

Mr. Lepel, meanwhile, who had been snooz-
ing on the sofa in a retired part of the room,
woke up.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N. 153

" Fred," he said, " have jou thought over
our conversation some time aijo?"

"Yes,'' answered Frederick ; "but the landed
interest question must be deferred for the pre-
sent.''

His father looked at him rather hard and
curiously. Frederick's face had a grave and
serious expression.

" By the bye," continued Mr. Lepel, raising
himself completely from his post-prandial nap,
" By the by, Fred, I was having a good deal
of talk about you to-day. There was Mr.
Fontenoy, Mr. Beaconsfield, old Mr, Pierre-
point, several other of the county people, and
one Captain Slug from the — ths at Huskdale.
They were talking about Rutter "

'' Le pauvre homme!" drawled Frederick,
with a sneer.

" Well," pursued his father, with as near an
approach to a dry smile as a very amiable
countenance wouki permit, " they began to
speak of your political debut. Regard for the
people they all thought w^ell enough. But
they thought it a pity you should have taken
such a decided radical part, particularly" — here

154 SINGLETON rONTENOY, R.N.

Mr. Lepel's words received a slight emphasis,
— " as, had jour wish to enter public life been
known, Lord Clangour might have done some-
thing for you."

Frederick's face was visited by a slight
evidence of emotion.

"And particularly," continued his father,
watching him curiously still, '* as the chartists
— a large section of the radicals, as you know
-2— look with great jealousy on such coups from
such as you, and are said to be moving about
it."

Here Frederick began to grow more and
more anxious.

" And still more," his father went on, im-
pressively, " since, at all events, the movement
caused by the bad state of the country is
virtually at an end. For I have it on the
best authority, that everything will be put to
rights immediately ; that the leaders of the
meditated risings are to be seized and tried ;
that, in a word, the thing^s done."

Frederick jumped to his feet, with a start.
*' You might, I think, have told me this before.
I wish you all good night !" And so saying,

SINGLETOlSr FONTENOY, R.N. 155

he left the drawing-room, and gained his own
room. He presently, also, sent down word
that he did not feel well ; and next morning
his indisposition appeared to exist still, for he
was unable to see the deputation above-men-
tioned, which consisted of some operatives
wishing his aid to found a literary institute in
Huskdale, in opposition to the existing esta-
blishments of the same kind.

Curiously enough, he recovered in the after-
noon, and came down stairs. He then set off
to Huskdale, and made several calls upon
political friends, from most of whom he heard
accounts quite confirmatory of what his father'
had said the night before. The truth is, that
the " crisis" was taking a favourable turn ; and
after various "strikes," "riots," "turns-out,"
and other phenomena of the saturnalia of
labour, things were settling down into the
old state once more, and the " difficulty" called
" condition of England" was about to be post-
poned for another period of years.

Frederick, with his head full of disgust and
disappointment, stepped out of a house in
Mammon Street, where he had been having

156 SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N.

a long conyersation -with one of the Town
Council, a violent radical; and marched to-
wards the office of the " Huskdale Courier," his
apparent connexion with which had so asto-
nished his friends Singleton, Farquhar, &c.
But before he got there (where, as we shall
see, bad news awaited him,) another disagree-
able event happened. He was recognized by
some groups of idlers, the chaotic elements of
that extraordinary mass, a Huskdale mob, and
violently hooted. The history of Huskdale, in
a political point of view, is the history of
mobs, (as Bulwer Lytton says that of Paris
is). Somebody is always being hooted there,
and all cannot bear that operation with the
equanimity of Mr. Rutter, secure as he is in
the consciousness of innocence, and a living of
£2000 per annum.

It is a curious and certain fact, that of all
classes of mankind, none despise the public so
heartily, as demagogues and actors, who have
no existence except by its breath. Frederick
felt an emotion of disgust hard to describe at
this sign of his declining popularity, and
walked on with a curse sticking in his throat.

SINGLETOl^ FONTENOY, R.I^. 157

to which nothing but his usual hardihood of
contempt prevented him from giving hearty
utterance.

" 'Gad," he muttered, as he gained another
part of the town, " it is lucky I am no enthu-
siast, or this would sicken me pretty well !
The ' aura popularis !' pshaw! It smells like a
drain!"

With knit brow, and iron sneer, he marched
on towards the office of the " Huskdale Courier."
We have mentioned that this was a leading
liberal print, but the truth is, that though from
long standing, it had a great name, its repu-
tation of late had been its chief value. The*
rivalry of the "Ranter," whose democracy was of
a darker hue, had damaged its sale. Frederick
had with his usual energy, at the commence-
ment of his career purchased this journal for
the sum of £500, which he could not ask his
father for, but which he had paid in the form
of two bills of £250, one at three month?,
and another at six. He had talents for busi-
ness, but he had a love of daring, for the sake
of daring, which (and he was young yet we
must remember,) had had a good deal to do

158 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

with this speculation. He had written in it
for a few numbers, with considerable vigour
and freshness, astonishing the ; steady old sub-
scribers, by theories which they could not
understand, and quotations which they could
not translate.

He reached the door. The office was empty.
He went up to the editorial room. It was
bare! Startled and anxious, he ascended ano-
ther pair of stairs, but was met by a body of
men carrying the machine — the actual prinitng
machine — down, piece by piece!

" Why — what the devil's to do, here ^" cried
Lepel angrily.

At the sound of his voice, a young fellow
who had been long employed in the office,
came running to him. He was a poor honest
drudge, who had owed his bread to work in
this place, during several dynasties of editors.
He was looking very frightened —

'' Why, Tanner, what's the matter 1" asked
Lepel.

" Can't you see, sir 1 Oh I can't you see,"
he said, seeming on the verge of crying.
"What is it r

SINGLETOK FONTENOY, K.N. 159

" It's an execootion, sir/' cried the poor
fellow. Now, though he lost his bread bj this
event, it is a fact that he felt for LepeFs loss,
and perhaps pitied him the most.

The true state of the case was this. Lepel
had bought the affair in utter ignorance of a
preyious lien on the property, the existence of
which had been fraudulently concealed from
him by the vender! That .enterprising trader
having secured the bills, was speedily non est
inventus. The mortgagee stepped in, — and
voila tout!

Some young men in Frederick's position
would have raged and stormed — some would
have been prostrated. Some would have gone
away and got drunk; and some would have
become maudlin. Frederick was Frederick
still. Three words taught him the whole
affair. He gave the calmest business direc-
tions to the men ; saw the house gutted tran-
quilly. His genius and his courage remained
calm and triumphant, amidst the ruins of the
the first ambitious hopes of his youth. He
saw, how completely he was done, — saw the
villany of it, — laughed at what was comic in

160 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

it, — and changed his whole plans in a few
moments' breathing time.

A quarter of an hour brought all the em-
ployes of the establishment round him. He
seated himself on a small stool, which was left
in one of the rooms, and very briefly addressed
them. With pencil and a note book, he
glanced over some small unsettled accounts.
He paid them at once.

" I now,'' he said in his usual brief, terse
way, " wash my hands of journalism, and I wash
them clean."

The employes went away, melancholy, and
admiring his coolness. Lepel was left alone,
in the desolate house. He looked out of the
windows, and saw the thick veils of smoke
gloomily sailing over the town. " Curse the
place !" he muttered. "I think I shall go to Paris
again, for a month. A brave people these,
who dare do nothing against a government of
fools, but bluster and lie ! "

Then he execrated the rogue who had
swindled him, — but of course never considered
wliether his own projects had been right, when
tried by a moral standard.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 161

He suddenly heard a step in the room, and
turning round, he saw there a figure he knew.
This was a short, melancholy-looking man, in
shabby black, originally a mute by profession,
but who, being cursed with a literary taste,
(than which nothing, by the way, can be more
fatal to a small trader or labourer) had taken
to writing. The former proprietors of the
' Courier ' had retained his services at the rate
of a dinner and two glasses of brandy and
water daily, to do the leading article depart-
ment. Lepel had degraded him to an inferior
branch, for he did not admire his style,
which, indeed, was tinged with the melancholy
characteristic of his early avocations.

" What, — Mr. Lakker,"said Lepel briskly,
*' come to arrange the funeral of the ' Courier '

"You are facetious, sir" said Lakker, mourn-
fully ; " This is a sad business. — And just as
I meditated sir, asking you for the loan of
half-a -sovereign in advance — which is now, of
course," said Mr. Lakker, looking at him, with
a hesitating glance — " impossible."

Lepel smiled, determined to make the
VOL. I. M

162 SINGLETOIT FONTENOY, R.N.

advance in question, but lie mcntallj resolved
to talk to Mr. Lakker for a little, first, as a
matter of amusement and study. How much
was kindness, how much wrong in this, the
reader must decide for himself.

" I have certainly been nicely taken in, Mr.
Lakker, but it can't be helped. Now, what
shall you do, Mr. Lakker, if it's a fair
question 1 '^

Lakker, who had had some experience of
life, saw that the half-sovereign was forth-
coming, so went on in good spirits.

" I shall resume my proper department of
literature, sir," he said, raising himself a
little.

" Ah, indeed ! "
"Yes, sir -Epitaphs!"
" Epitaphs ! — You surprise me."
" Yes, sir — epitaphs — the true ' sermons in
stones' Mr. Lepel! Who, sir, has ever wan-
dered in our English churchyards, without
perceiving the gross literary deficiencies of the
surviving relatives of this realm ! Not only is
there an absence of that neatness of expression
which distinguishes the high class of Epitaphs,

( ]

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 163

but there is, sir, almost constantly, a gross
abundance of errors in sense and sjDelling. Is
this decent '? Is it respectful to the departed 1
Is it,^^ said Mr. Lakker, becoming enthusiastic,
" worthy of an enlightened age ? Shall we be
careful in our newspapers, and negligent on our
tombstones ? Shall we teach our peasantry
spelling, and bury them without it ? Shall we
be learned by the fireside, and illiterate at the
grave ? — Sir, I early perceived this rank abuse,
and I exerted myself to rectify it ! I put
myself in communication with various statu-
aries, and engaged to supply — for a proper but
moderate remuneration — proper inscriptions.*

Lepel was charmed. "You deserve great
credit, upon my honour, Mr. Lakker " he said,
"but give me an example. Is it not difficult
to deal with such a variety of persons, as you
must have to write epitaphs for, and, pardon
me, are you not apt to repeat yourself 1 "

" Mankind is fallible," said Lakker, with a
sigh. " Some people have thought so. Statu-
aries, Sir, I am sorry to say, have made the
observation!"

" Neatness of expression, is rare, but very

M 2

164 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

delightful in such compositions/' said Lepel,
suggestively.

" You may say so, Sir." Here Mr. Lakker
pulled out some papers from his pocket. —
" For example, Mr. Lepel, Mary Boucher is a
tradesman's daughter. I ask her character. I
am told she was virtuous to an extraordinary
degree. Do I state the plain facf? No. I
write thus :

Mary Boijchek.

Whose Viktijes

Delighted the lives of Others,

And adokned her own.

"Neat, Sir, eh 1" said Mr. Lakker.

Frederick could have roared with laughter,
"Capital, Mr. Lakker,'^ he cried.

" It has its difficulties. Sir, this employment,
like others. Some people expect far too much
for the money. Widows are outrageous some-
times.''

" But if the deceased has been outrageously
bad, Mr. Lakker 1 "

" There is the triumph of the art, Sir. — Ah,"
exclaimed the epitaph writer, " if I could write
'em in Latin, Sir ! That would bring in money !

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 165

So many people like to put an inscription over
the defunct, that he could not have read if he
had been alive ! '^

Lepel here looked at his watch, and saw that
it was getting late, and he then gave Mr.
Lakker a sovereign, sajing that he might repay
it any time ; — it was of no consequence ; — and
so that gentleman seemed to think also, for ho
never, I believe, troubled himself on the sub-
ject afterwards !

It was about fiYQ, as Lepel sauntered away
from the house, musing upon his position — upon
the bills to be met — upon the sudden check, in
short, that he had encountered, in the opening
of his career. He began to think, that his
ambition must find some other way ; but, this
was a matter for long reflection. Meanwhile,
he was young ! With brains, courage, and for-
tune, what need he care ? Then, it occurred
to him, that there was something glorious even
in difficulties. Perhaps also he had too much
neglected pleasure — a dangerous but delightful
thought.

His carriage became more erect ; his eye
brightened ; he clenched his hand, and shook

166 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

his arm as he walked along. Drawing near
the George, he saw a knot of joimg fellows
assembled there at the entrance to the yard.
They had been out hunting. One or two were
in pink ; their faces were ruddy with health ;
they talked away lightly and good-naturedly.
They were smoking cigars, and discussing the
run. " Would any of them change places with
meV thought Lepel, as he glanced at them.
"Hang it, what's the good of brains, if one
cannot get oneself envied ! "

Meanwhile, the group observed him ap-
proaching. " There's Fred Lepel," said one of
them.

" Indeed," said a dark young man, eagerly.
" That's him, is it 1 " and he raised his eye-
glass.

*' Very clever, is'nt he ? "

" I believe so."

" Oh, of course. Ah, how are you Fred ?"
Here Lepel came up to them. He was appa-
rently in capital spirits ; he was pleasant and
talkative ; he inquired about the run. In
short, he made himself as agreeable as possible.

" We have all been watching you lately,"

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 167

said the dark young man, with a slight
bow.

" Oh/' said Lepel, carelessly. *' Too much
honour. I've been having a run. Capital
pace, but nothing caught. I am going to drop
politics, I think."

The dark young man seemed more interested
in this, than one would have expected. He
started a little, and looked curiously at Lepel.

" Have you heard that the ' Courier's' dead 1"
said Lepel, suddenly, for it had just occurred
to him that he might as well set a proper story
afloat on the subject, before rumours began to
go round. " Its defunct, sir. The propriefor
has levanted. There's a screw loose, I believe."

" Why, we thought, — " began one of the
young men, hesitatingly. Lepel saw the
forming sentence, while it was yet in the womb
of time.

" That I had something to do with it, eh ?
There are always false rumours about ; but
never mind business. So you met at Gorse
End, eh?"

The group now broke into two knots for
a few moments. Lepel talked to Harry

168 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

Pierrepoint, brother of the Ellen of ^\'hom
mention has been made before.

Meanwhile one of the party said to the
young man with the eye-glass, " Why do you
bore yourself about his politics or projects,
hang them V For this was a youth who not
caring to cultivate his own talents, was jealous
of those who did. " Tush, tush, my good
Langley, you do not know the world yet,"
said his companion.

'' My sister is over with Augusta,'^ said
Pierrepoint to Frederick.

" Oh indeed, it's very kind of her. By-
the-bye, who's that fellow '? Wc were not
introduced," whispered Lepel.

" Were you not ? That's a cousin of
Belden Lord Clangour's son."

Lepel suppressed a " whew." It was awk-
ward ; for his recent proceedings must have
appeared rather extraordinary to that family.
He thought suddenly of the interest the youth
had shown in what he said, and inwardly
admired his tact.

Shortly afterwards he parted with these
young gentlemen, and went home to dinner,

SINGLETON FOKTENOY, R.N. 169

where everybody thought him in very high
spirits ; so much so, that his father (who had
of late been trying to study him) felt somewhat
afraid that he had been playing some dange-
rous game, with dangerous success.

In the drawing-room he seated himself next
Ellen Pierrepoint, and having asked his sister
to play something, commenced a low, whisper-
ing dialogue. Ellen was bending over a
beautiful volume of " Views of the East," full
of gorgeous illustrations by an artist of great
genius, and accompanied by some letter-press
descriptions of the scenes by Higg, who
having gone up the Nile with a small carpeJt-
bag, swaggered in print, about his retinue,
his luggage, his dragomen, &c., in a style
worthy of the 'Arabian Nights'.

" My sister has brought me a beautiful
album from London," said Ellen. " Will you
write something for me? Langley has written
me some beautiful lines beginning —

' Go, lovely Rose ! ' "

" Indeed," said Frederick," do you remem-
ber how they run ?"

170 SINGLETON FONTENOY, U.K.

Ellen put on a pretty puzzled look, wliich
wrinkled her little white forehead with lines as
delicate as the veins of a rose. " Let me
think.

'•' ' Go, lovely Rose !
Tell her that wastes her time and me —
That now she knows — •' "

Lepel laughed. " ' Now she knoM^s !' That's
very good. What does she know ^ That the
lines are Waller's." Frederick did not care for
poetry, (except satirical poetry) but he read
it as a matter of culture.

" What, not his own V asked Ellen.

" Not they. You need not tell him, but
ask him carelessly, if he has read Waller."

" For shame. But will you write some-
thing ? I know you can write."

Frederick laughed. "I am afraid not in
the album style, Ellen; but perhaps you
would like an epigram, or an essay on
politics."

" Anything by you," said Ellen, softly, and
dropping her eyes to the book. "Not bad,"
thought Lepel, who studied his friends, as he
would Rachel in Racine.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 171

I wish I could write poetrj," said Fred-
erick, with a Terj capital sigh.

'• People must have great feeling," said
Ellen, " to do so."

" People are often unappreciated," said
Frederick.

Augusta stopped playing. Frederick looked
i-ound.

" I will get a poet for you," said Augusta.
" Singleton Fontenoy shall Avrite for you.
He's at school now."

"Poor Singleton," said Lepel. ^'What a
very nice fellow he is."

*' He is indeed very agreeable. He has *a
good heart," said Augusta.

The carriage came for Miss Pierrepoint.
She kissed her friend Augusta, and turned to
shake hands with Frederick.

" I mean to do myself the honour of coming
over to Pierrepoint, to-morrow," he said.

Ellen looked very glad.

"Pray say so to Harry. Good night."
And away went the damsel with Augusta,

" Some of the Pierrepoint girls have money,"
said Frederick to his sister, about an hour

172 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

later, after a long fit of musing. " One of
them had something left her by her grand-
mother."

" That was Ellen/^ said Augusta, quietly.
" She is too good for you, Frederick/'' Fred-
erick yawned.

Some weeks after this memorable day, the
Huskdale coach from the west arrived at the
Crown Inn in that town, about an hour before
dusk. Down jumped the guard, and disen-
cumbered his neck of an enormous shawl.
The door was opened, and there came out a
young gentleman. His cheeks flushed as he
stepped into the chill air. He saw his luggage
carried in, and walked away towards another
inn, the George. Just as he approached, he
saw a youth in a scarlet coat dismounting from
a horse. He thought he recognised the figure.
The rider walked into the inn, as he drew
near. The ostler was holding the horse.
Though it had been a hunting day, the animal
seemed in marvellously good condition.

"Mr. Fontenoy," said the ostler, touching
his hat, as the young stranger arrived. Then

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 173

looking towards the inn, knowingly, to be sure
that the rider did not hear him, he pointed to
the horse Avith a knowing jerk of his thumb
and a leer, and said, " now that's what I call
bringing in an ^orse in good condition."

Singleton (for it was that youth) laughed,
and turned to enter the hostelry. The doors
opened with a swing, just as he reached the
portal ; and who should appear in pink, neat
cords, and unexceptionable tops, but — Frede-
rick Lepel !

" Hillo, Singleton, bravo — yoicks !" cried
he. " Here's a metamorphosis."

Singleton laughed long and loud. ^

"Pity me, my friend. The gods have
vowed vengeance against me, and changed me
into a beast. But come in, and wait till I
throw off these rascally habiliments. 'Gad,
old boy, I'm afraid it won't be the first time
I have turned my coat."

Before long, they were rattling away to
Dunreddin.

" Were not you astonished '?" said Lepel.
" Ah, I have a good deal to explain. But you
have a good deal to tell me. I got your

174 SINGLETOIT FONTENOY, K.N.

note from Penguin. Come to our place

" But, my father "

" Pooh ! I think he dines with us, to-day.
Better meet him there, and before people, than
in a Ute-d-Ute, Nothing is so horrible as
that.''

This seemed sensible enough, so away they
went to Dunreddin, where, sure enough, Fon-
tenoyji^er^ was in the drawing room.

While Singleton was attiring himself up
stairs, Lepel ran down before him, and said,
" Papa, I have brought a friend home to din-
ner. He's up stairs." The party evinced
some curiosity.

" Who is he, Fred T asked his mother.

Mr. Fontenoy looked up, as if he thought it
a great liberty. But Fred could do as he
pleased — anything in reason, and sometimes a
great deal more.

" A very gentlemanly fellow," said Frede-
rick, smiling. " A youth of very good family,
clever, and good looking. Fm sure you will
think him good looking, Augusta."

" You are joking with us," said Augusta.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 175

The door opened, and in came Singleton.
What a surprise !

Singleton was embarrassed, but not ungrace-
fully so. He blushed, and bowed, and smiled,
and then walked straight up to his father, and
held out his hand, and said, " How are jou,
Papa T Mr. Fontenoj shook hands with him,
•with an air of great coolness. Singleton
thought he had heard nothing about the
Oaken Lodge affair, but he was mistaken. Dr.
Helot had written a particular account of it.

In the course of dinner his father said,
" Well, Singleton, where is Mrs. Fontenoy T

" Sir !'' said Singleton, colouring in an
instant.

"I thought we were to have a Lalage some-
body— no matter."

Singleton was struck dumb. Augusta was
astonished. Mr. Fontenoy's object was
gained. Confusion, curiosity, and doubt were
scattered like seeds into the breasts of the
circle. Frederick, indeed — nothing could dis-
turb. But Mr. Fontenoy's son and heir looked
as if he had found poison in his champagne.

176 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

CHAPTER X.

. . . Now he's ta'en anitlier sliore,
An' ower the sea.

Burns.

I HAVE designedly left it to tlie reader to
learn by implication that our hero, Singleton,
had no mother; for who knows not how much
more agreeable is the knowledge which comes
gradually, unperceived, and unsought, than
that which is formally communicated, or labo-:
riously acquired ? I preferred that this fact
should be deduced from what was written of
his wayward boyhood.

The truth is, that Singleton's mother had
been long dead. No one seemed to have
known her in the county in which he was

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 177

brought up. His father never alluded to her,
and Singleton shrank from the subject in con-
sequence. Not that he dreaded anything ex-
cept recalling to him the painful memory of
his loss. But this was sufficient restraint to a
delicate nature ; so Singleton had, up to the
time of which I am writing, cherished a natu-
ral curiosity, but cherished it in secret. He
now began to hope that that curiosity would
receive its gratification. No one of a thought-
ful nature, but must love to know everything
of the beings from whom he has sprang.
Nay, without affecting ancestral pride, who
would not wish to know whether his fair great-'
great-grandmothers loved music — if their eyes
were blue, or if they flirted 1 — without encou-
raging prejudices, who would not be proud to
think that his great-great-grandfather was one
who read Shakspeare, and perhaps dined with
Fielding '? Now-a-days, when so many people
are prejudiced against prejudices, let us at least
respect even prejudices that are associated
with sentiment or poetry. Perhaps, it will be
found that a gentleman who is

Too proud to care from whence he came,
YOL. I. N

178 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

will be apt to be too proud to care where he
goes!

At all events, Singleton began to grow very
curious about his family. He took pleasure in
wandering in a gallery where there was a
goodly row of De Fontenoys : for I must
state, by-the-bye, that De Fontenoy was ori-
ginally the family name, and so remained till
the time of the French revolution, when Roger
De Fontenoy, who was a strong whig, and a
friend of Fox's — who affected an elegant sans-
culottism — thought Paine a patriot — and owed
money to Brookes — dropped the "De" as a
barbarous relic. It was not without hesitation
that Singleton's father, a strong tory, suffered
Roger to remain in the gallery, but he dared
not dispense with the genealogical hnk, so con-
tented himself with remarking that that gentle-
man had obviously been of unsound mind.

Singleton early observed that he himself
bore little family likeness to these distinguished
gentlemen; and this made him more and more
curious about his maternal ancestry. A gush
of tenderness followed his indulgence of a vein
of sentiment ; and he came down one morning,

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 179

determined to speak to his father on the sub-
ject. His father was already out. Singleton
was perhaps somewhat relieved, as well as
disappointed, for he dreaded the interview a
little. In fact, he expected from him little
sympathy with sentiment, for Mr. Fontenoy
rarely showed that he was subject to any
strong emotion but anger.

Finding that he was left alone in the man-
sion, Singleton went to wander in the gallery.
There, as he was once again gazing at the oval
faces and brown eyes of the Fontenoys — cha-
racteristics of their Norman origin — he heard
a step behind him. Turning round, he saw
Mrs. Campbell, the housekeeper, a tall, stately,
ladylike personage of mature years, whose
face was one of the earliest which he remem-
bered. She had been in the establishment
ever since his infancy, and sometimes, during
Mr. Fontenoy's excursions to London or the
continent, had been a kind of foster-mother to
Singleton.

"Good morning, Master Singleton," she
said, smiling benignantly, to our hero. " Your
papa is going to attend sessions, sir. The

n2

180 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

trouble he has to go through, poor gentleman,
is something awful/'

Singleton smiled, and continuing to gaze at
Lionel Fontenoj, a cavalier, said "Ah! these
were the men, Mrs. Campbell !''

"Yes, indeed, and well may jou saj it.
If thej had all been as brave as him, we
would not have had a red-nosed rebel ruling
the country,'' said Mrs. Campbell, who had a
great contempt for the memory of Oliver
Cromwell.

And here I take the liberty to observe that
the poor lady was not more ignorant than
many people in very different positions in
life, of the real character and history of that
great man.

Singleton looked round him, and sighed.
The housekeeper had thought, lately, that he
was looking melancholy, and like others, she
could not understand how a person could be
melancholy who had fine clothes and lived
well.

"I am sorry to see you gloomy. Master
Singleton," she said, kindly.

Singleton assumed a smile, and then it

SINGLETOI^r FONTENOY, R.IS". 181

occurred to liim that he would sound Mrs.
Campbell on the matter which was nearest his
thoughts, and of which she must, he fancied,
have some knowledge. So he put on a gay
air, and pointing again to the portraits, said,
" Now, Fm not much like any of these goodly
gentlemen, eh, Mrs. Campbein*'

She did not perceive his drift, so she said
at once, " Why, I don't think the likeness is
that way, sir."

"Do you remember my mother '?" said
Singleton, looking her straight in the face,
and striving to conceal his embarrassment.

Mrs. Campbell paused, coughed, and
answered slowly, " I have seen her, sir ;" and
then, as if she had suddenly remembered
something, she said, " but I must go to ."

" Stop !" said Singleton, seizing her by the
wrist, by a sudden impulse, and growing very
hot.

"La, how you frighten me!" cried the
housekeeper.

"Mrs. Campbell," cried Singleton, with an
aflfectionate look ; " you have known me long,
and you have been kind to me when I was

182 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

very young. I want to know all about
my motlier. My father is away; I don't
care to speak to him about it, but tell me
all you know. Where was it 1 — what was
she like r'

And Singleton kissed her hand affection-
ately, and so warmly, that I dare say it made
her feel young again ; she actually blushed
as coquettishly as the great Elizabeth at
sixty.

" ril show you something, if you will pro-
mise not to tell your father nor anybody,''
said she, lowering her voice.

" Oh, I swear "

" Never mind swearing. I never believe
that men are in earnest if they swear !"

Here, she dived into the recesses of her
imposing black silk gown, for a large bunch
of keys.

"Promise faithfully you will never tell.
Your father would never forgive me. Master
Singleton."

" I do promise, most faithfully."

" Then follow me."

She left the gallery followed by Singleton,

SINGLETOK FONTENOY, R.N. 183

who was all eagerness and anticipation. On
they went, from room to room, through long
passages and up mysterious stairs, for Hea-
therby was a yery spacious old place, and had
been built and patched in every yariety of style.
They had no adventure, unless we may so
name the encountering one of Mrs. CampbelFs
maidens, a young female with pretty face and
feet, who, without the smallest reason, made a
point of blushing and looking confused when-
ever she met Singleton. Which was a great
shame !

At last, they reached a small room at the very
top of the house. Mrs. Campbell entered an(f
Singleton after her. It was quite dark. While
Singleton stood bewildered, the housekeeper
removed a shutter. In rushed the light like a
triumphant conqueror. It peopled the room
with little motes wavering in the sunbeams.
And full in Singleton's eyes there appeared a
portrait.

Ah ! that face — so beautiful and so young —
with heavenly eyes of heaven's own colour —
with soft masses of dark hair, and a mouth
that seemed redolent of roses, tinged too, in

184 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

spite of its fairness and its youth, mth a me-
lancholy as delicate as the shade of a young
cypress — that face, was the face of Singleton's
mother !

" Who was that, sir V asked Mrs. Camp-
bell.

Singleton's eyes filled with tears. " I know
her, — I know her," he cried. "Sweet mother,
pray for me 1" And he gazed upon the face
with rapture.

" Oh, for shame !" cried Mrs. Campbell,
shocked at what she sincerely believed to be
an impiety ; for it is extraordinary with what
pains our " reforming " churchmen have rooted
out all the natural feelings that create and
beautify devotion.

Singleton turned his moist eyes to her.
" Do tell me all you know, Mrs. Campbell. I
will remember the kindness, indeed I will ! "

Mrs. Campbell was touched, but she was
frightened. " Indeed, dear Master Singleton,
I know very little. Your mamma died very
young, not long after you was born. Your
papa keeps every thing silent about her.
There was something wrong, I believe."

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 185

" What !" cried Singleton, turning pale as
death.

"Oh, dear, I don't mean that, sir," cried
the housekeeper. " God forbid. I mean the
match was some way 'jectionable." Here she
appeared yerj much frightened, and perhaps
secretly regretted that she had ever brought
him to this chamber.

He stood motionless for a little. A calm
feeling of reverence succeeded his emotion,
and then seeing that it was impossible, and
doubting whether it was just, to draw any-
thing more from her on the subject, he thanked
her, kissed his hand with a chivalrous religion'
to the picture, and fled to his bed-room.
Mrs. Campbell, meanwhile, shut up the window
again, locked the room carefully, and then
departed to her own apartment, where she
recruited her nerves after this trial, with a
large wine-glass of Madeira.

Singleton had been shut up by himself for
some time, and had just bathed his face and
refreshed himself with some perfumes, when he
received a message, saying, that his father
wanted to speak to him. With some trepi-

186 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

dation lie descended. His father was not
alone ; there was with him a tall, fine old gen-
tleman, with a fair face very bold in its ex-
pression. He was seated on a chair opposite
Mr. Fontenoj, and leaning forward to speak
to him on a large heavy cane with a gold
head.

" This is my boy,^^ said his father.

" Ah, my lad, how are you T said the
stranger, jumping up to shake hands, and
dropping down again very suddenly. "Do
you know who I am, eh '?"

" No, sir,'' said Singleton.

"Why, your grand-uncle to be sure, Sir
John Singleton, K.B., Admiral of the White!
Did you never hear of your grandmother,

Miss Singleton 1 By G , you ought to

have, for she brought some rhino into the
family." And here the veteran made a lunge
with the portentous cane at Singleton, Avho
burst out laughing. Mr. Fontenoy looked very
serious, but was obviously rather frightened of
his naval relation.

" He's a fine lad. Come here, my boy, and
lay your arm on the table!" Singleton obeyed.

SINGLETON- FONTEKOY, E.N. 187

The Admiral raised his arm on the elbow,
joined his fingers with Singleton's, and made
him struggle who should press the other's arm
down. Singleton was defeated, but made a
good resistance.

" Ahj a wirj joung rascal. Well, what do
jou know 1 Know Latin and Greek, eh V
" Yes," answered Singleton.''

" Well, JOU know a d d deal more than

I do, that's all then," said Sir John, with a
roar. "But don't jou learn to swear. I
can't help it sometimes, but it's infernally
wrong, and I was brought up in a cursed ser-
vice." ♦
" You were going to suggest something to
my son?' said Mr. Fontenoy, quietly.

" Going to suggest ? I was going to ask
him, whether he wouldn't like to go to sea ?
They say that there's going to be a war soon.
And I think so, for by Jupiter Jovis, the
French won't rest till they get cursed well
licked.

" Thundering and roaring —
Thundering and roaring —
Thundering and roaring—'
Guns ! "

188 SINGLETON TONTENOY, R.N.

" Well, Singleton, wliat do you say V asked
Mr. Fontenoy. "You complain of want of
action, and you M'on't hunt, and you won't
slioot or fisli. Will you go to sea?"

" Action !" cried the Admiral misunder-
standing the youth's meaning, — but scarcely
more than his father did, by-the-bye, " You'll
get actions enough, if there's a war, and I tell
you there's one brewing in the Mediterranean
at this moment."

"Well, I'll think of it till the morning,"
said my hero, somewhat taken by surprise.

"Ah, that's sensible," said the admiral, "and
now Fontenoy, let us have dinner."

At dinner, the Admiral performed in a
manner worthy of his reputation, for he was a
dashing and gallant officer. After dinner, he
filled up his glass, and saying solemnly " The
Queen 1" pronounced the claret worthy of the
toast.

" Now, you would not think I had a wooden
leg would you, my boy, from my walk ? " he
asked Singleton.

" Certainly not," said Singleton, with sur-
prise. Sir John jumped up from his chair.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 189

and began walking about the room in a most
imposing manner. " Yet it's a jury leg :
cork, mj boy! And by — ^^whew/^ lie cried, whist-
ling away the rising oath, " I have drawn
enough corks in my life to keep me in legs,
till I want them no longer ! " And down he
sat again.

Mr. Fontenoy began two or three subjects —
corn, country-gentlemen, and the poor rates,
but Sir John did not appear to have a relish
for any of them. " How do you think I lost
my leg 1 I was midshipman of the * Magnifico.'
We fell foul of the French ship, 'Harpagon,'
got to windward of her, shot away her fore-
topmast. Well, just as I was going on a
message from our Captain, to the fellow who
commanded the main-deck quarters, — bang
came a thirty-two pounder, and takes off my
leg ! It was left hanging just by a bit of gristle,
and as they carried me below, the leg went
bump, bump," (the Admiral took a sip of
claret at each exclamation) " at every step of
the hatchway ladder ! ^'

Singleton's genuine shudder was taken by the
raconteur as a higli compliment.

190 SINGLETON rONTENOY, E.N.

" That was a wound, eh 1 They gave me
some brandy, and dressed the stump. I got a
pension, and I got a cork leg. And here I am
you see, as sound as ever, and I shall fly my
red bunting at the main before I die/^

" Shall you go to sea again, uncle 1 '^ asked
Singleton.

" I don't know, my boy," said the old man,
rather moodily. "But I hear that old
Pannikin, a Captain of 1818, is to commission
the ' Patagonian,' 80, soon, for the Medi-
terranean ; and he shall apply for you, if you
like. — But help yourself to wine, my boy. 'Gad
you won't always get claret, or else the service
is cursedly altered. By-the-bye, I invented a
bottle once."

" Invented a bottle I " said Mr. Fontenoy.

" Yes ; I was with a very dull set of fellows
who would not pass the wine, and I invented
a bottle with a round bottom that would not
stand ! So, you see, they were forced to keep
it moving."

" Till they could not stand themselves, eh,
uncle ?" said Singleton, facetiously.

" Ha! ha! yes, just so," said the Admiral.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 191

" Singleton, ring for coffee, " said Mr.
Fontenoj, gravelj. And so, witli anecdotes,
and Sir John's good nature and droll charac-
teristics, the evening passed off pleasantly
enough ; and it was not till after accompany-
ing his uncle to his chamber, and then retiring
to his own, that our hero began again to think
of the tender and touching topics of the morn-
ing. How his mother's sweet face haunted
him ! The thought became a vision, and he
saw her in his dreams. Then, he fancied, she
came close to him, and kissed his brow, and
said — " Follow your destiny, son, and you shall
hear of me in the South ! " Singleton awok^
suddenly. He could have sworn he heard a
voice. But all was still, and he fell asleep
again.

In the morning, he rose early. He went to
Mrs. Campbell and begged her to let him see
the portrait once more, before his father rose.
With reluctance, she took him again to the
room, and this time he noticed, what he had
not observed before, that from his mother's neck
there hung a cross. It might be a mere orna-
ment ; it might be a sacred symbol. And

192 SINGLETON FONTENOT, E.N.

wliere did that symbol gain its divinity 1 In the
South.

" Why should I not go to sea '? " said Sin-
gleton, in soliloquy. " The sea has been
thought to be the great fountain of being, the
fons omnium viventium, the mother of all life !
From the sublime speculations of Thales, to the
magnificent hymn of Byron, it has been the
object of the wonder of the sage, and the ad-
miration of the poet ! From the sea rose
Venus — in the sea perished Sappho ! It has
been described by ^schylus, and it was the
birth place of Undine 1 It received the life-
blood of Nelson, and the last sigh of Shelley !
Everything great and wonderful and beautiful
is associated with its name. Caesar struggled
with its currents, and saved from its waters
the proudest trophy of his genius. Cicero
flew to it for refuge, a few hours before he met
his fate from the assassins. It was the bride
of Venice, and the nurse of England. — Enough,
I will go !^^

" I will go, uncle,'' he said, at breakfast.

" So you shall, my sucking Nelson," replied
his uncle. Your appointment shall be here in

SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N. 193

a fortniglit ; for Pannikin will lioist liis pen-
dant soon, and he lias a riglit to enter one
youngster. And lie's under great obligations
to me. I like decision — so gallop over to
Huskdale, and tell your tailor to give you your
measures on a slip of paper. I will take them
to London with me, and hand them over to a
crack outfitter. When you come up to town
call upon me in Bolton Street, and 111 give
you a feed."

" Fm exceedingly obliged and grateful.''

" Well, prove your gratitude by ringing
the bell for me." And in a short time after-
wards the distinguished old officer was on
his road to London, and my hero's fingers
were tingling with the vigour of his parting
shake.

Sir John Singleton was an ofificer of the
old school, and the proper old school. He
was not one of those vulgar persons who crept
into the service during the war, and who,
with none but the qualities that are equally
found in the common sailors, prided them-
selves upon their contempt for refinement,
and thought that they were Benbows, because

YOL. I. 0

194 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

they were barbarians. Not one of those
spitting and swearing gentry, who turned
the lower decks of their ships into brothels,
and the upper into flogging shambles; who,
with vulgar manners and plebeian blood in
their veins, esteemed it fine to persecute
officers descended from the Normans, and
whose manners would have graced a Court.
Sir John had all their daring, but had
qualities, also, worthy of his ancient and
honourable family ; he was brave, but he
was courteous and courtly. To be sure, great
culture was inconsistent with his career, and
a slight roughness betrayed that he had been
accustomed to rough work. But he was a
gentleman, and a man of honour. He had an
energy that shrank from nothing ; he might
have been a valuable adjutant to Blake, and
it was not his fault that he did not die with
Nelson, — for no man fought more bravely at
Trafalgar, and he had lost his leg in battle
some years before that bloody fight. So let
us wdsh him a pleasant journey to town.

We are now to consider Singleton as
preparing to leave home, — a remarkable

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 195

period divided between sentiment and com-
mon-place,— portmanteaus and plighted troth,
— tin cases and tears, — a time when we
shrink from going, and would not staj for
the world. Often, he resolved to speak to
his father on the mysterious question which
haunted him, but his courage always failed
at the point, and whenever he screwed it up
to the mark, something spoiled the oppor-
tunity. Then, he was engaged in attending
to innumerable invitations from friends
desirous to pay him attention before his
departure. Ellen Pierrepoint was anxious to
see him with the little dagger on which forms
part of a " youngster's " uniform. Augusta
was weaving into some white cambric hand-
kerchiefs the Fontenoy crest, in red silk, for
his special use ; he being " barbarous '' enough,
though he lived in an " enlightened " manu-
facturing county, to feel some interest in the
heraldic emblems of his family ! Tomkins
despises these things, and ridicules a "cross
fichee." Does Tomkins know that ihe jflchee
means that the Crusader had his cross shar-
pened at one end, that he might ^x it in the

o2

196 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

earth, and kneel before it to pray to God 'ere
he went to sleep? Let the poor fellow try
and picture that!

In a week or two there arrived, as the
Admiral had said there would, a big letter
addressed to Mr. Singleton Charles Fontenoy,
which we subjoin : —

" Sir,

" I am commanded by the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty to inform
you that you have been appointed as
Volunteer of the First Class to H. M. S.
" Patagonian," fitting out at Sheerness, and
you are hereby commanded to report yourself
on board the guard ship at that port to be
examined.

" Your obedient servant,

" Alfred de Sluggy."

Upon the receipt of this document (the
signing of which was the only work that the
aristocratic De Sluggy had done that week
for his money). Singleton was rather fright-
ened. The phrase " examined " suggested all
the terrors of Mr. Trochee over again, and

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 197

lie actually went to the library and read hard
for a whole afternoon. He then thought that,
as he was going into the Navy, he would look
up some Naval novels, and he sent over ac-
cordingly to the Circulating Library at Husk-
dale for an unlimited supply.

Back they came, — " Cheeks, the Marine,"
in three vols.; "Roger Mc Guffin, the Boat-
swain ;" " A Story of the Sea ;" &c., &c.
Singleton, whose reading, as far as modern
fiction went, had lain in a different school,
(for he was a Bulwer and Disraeli man,)
was somewhat startled by these productions,
and began to think that if they were picture's
of naval life, he would have some extra-
ordinary persons to associate with. But it
was too late ; though different, indeed, was
the style of these books from thy aerial and
gorgeous colouring, oh, thou who didst dream
"Zanoni," — or thy fanciful creations — father
of " Contarini Fleming " — thou, who amongst
satirists, art God of the Silver Bow I

Singleton resolved that he would have
separate interviews with those whom he loved.
Thus, parting is made more tender, but less

198 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

embarrassing and sad ; and he resolved to
defer to the last an interview with his father.

He went, one morning near the fatal day,
to Dunreddin ; Augusta was by herself in
the boudoir. Singleton opened the door softly,
and went in. There she was, as usual, reading
poetry, and looking poetry.

" Good morning, Augusta."

Augusta looked up and smiled, and motioned
to him to sit down. They might almost have
been called brother and sister, so like were
they in nature, — in enthusiasm, in fancy, in
goodness and gentleness — in what is called
"organization,'' but which yet we feel must
be higher than organization, though we cannot
define it. Now, how different was Singleton
from his father, and Augusta from her brother
Frederick ! These are mysteries of nature
not sufficiently considered.

" I go soon, Augusta,'' said Singleton, softly.
" And I must bid my sister good-bye."

"You are not going now," said Augusta,
suddenly.

"Not this minute," said Singleton, smiling.
" But I wish to have a little farewell chat. I

SINGLETON FONTBNOY, R.N. 199

will write to you from the Mediterranean, and
tell you how I like the ' warm south.' "

" Think of me, when you are in Athens,"
said Augusta, smiling. " I need not tell you
who else to think of." *'■

Singleton turned pale. " Ah, poor Lalage.
I wish she had a sister. Who ever had a
sister such as you have been to me ? You
have been the lamp my soul has seen by !"

He rose, and went to look out of the window.
The spring was coming. But there was a
shade on Augusta's brow, and she sighed.

" I must have a long talk with Fred, before
I go," said Singleton. •

"Ah, do you know, I fear Fred, Singleton.
I am convinced that his ambition is quite un-
scrupulous. I am quite afraid he will bring
us into some danger, if it is at all necessary to
his plans.''

" Oh, he is certainly bold and indifferent,
but he has a good heart, I think."

Augusta looked melancholy, and shook her
head. They sat down, and had a long conver-
sation, and then Singleton went next to her
brother Frederick's rooms. He found that great

200 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

patriot (whose democracy, bj tlie way, was
now assuming the milder form and title of
*' Philosophical Radicalism"), but whose pro-
ceedings were variable and somewhat incon-
sistent just at present, — employed with his
meerschaum, wdth his back to the fire. He
was gazing, philosophically, upon a table
strewed with books and papers, and had quite
the air of an embryo minister,

" Ah, Sing," he cried. " Fm glad to see
you. Time of departure drawing near '? This
is very terrific I"

" We must try and bear up,^' said Singleton,
laughing.

" Just so. Put on a weed."
" Thank you. I don't care about smoking,
just now."

"Going to sea, my boy," pursued Lepel.
" Now, do you know, Singleton, I am not sus-
picious, (Singleton saw that some monstrous
suspicion was forthcoming,) but I think I see
your father's drift in wishing you off. It's my
opinion — I may be wrong, — (wliich meant, I
feel sure I am right,) — but it's my opinion —
thinks of marrying again 1"

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 201

Singleton gaye a genuine start, and was in-
deed very seriously astonished. Lepel glanced
at him, and puffed vigorously at the meer-
schaum.

"He is quite young enough — particularly
with tlie Heatherby property in his possession,
(here Lepel sneered,) for most young ladies of
this day. (For myself, I prefer women of a
certain age — Balzac brought them into fashion
in Paris.; However, I think you will find that
he'll marry, and it remains for you to consider
how far your interests will be affected by it."

Singleton continued to listen with great
curiosity, and was still too much surprised to
speak.

" My dear boy," resumed the speaker pater-
nalh', " you have no talents for worldly matters.
For practical purposes, the most useless of all
vehicles is a balloon ! although it soars so
high ! — Of course, I know your intellectual
powers, (Singleton blushed !) but they are not
of a practical character, and if you do not take
care, it will be your lot in life to be duped by
men with not half your talents. Such is often
the case with literary men." —

202

Here, I pause to remark the curious fact,
that neither Lcpcl nor Singleton thought that
this observation was applicable to their own
case, and present conversation. —

" Now, I don't think jou and jour father
have much in common." —

It suddenly flashed upon Singleton to speak
to Lepel about his mother. But he checked
himself, and resolved not to do so. Yet, the
subject hovered in his mind, and influenced
him through the rest of the interview.

" He does not imderstand jou ; and jou
best know whether perfect confidence has sub-
sisted between you." — (This remark sank deep
into Singleton's mind..) — "However, my boy,
put your interests in my hands, while you are
away. Let me look out for you."

" Who could my father have in view to
marry, think youl" asked Singleton, passing
over, pro. tern, the last words.

" Nay — that's hard to say. What would
you think of — Augusta ? "

Singleton was thunder-struck.

*' Not that it's at all likely, that, my boy,"
pursued his friend, coolly; "for she is to

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 203

marry the eldest Belden, heir to the Clangour
Earl/^

"How so?'' asked Singleton, quite OYer-
whelmed^ and driven backwards and forwards
bj every new stroke of Frederick's.

" I see it on the cards/' continued Lepel.
" I have seen that he really likes her — and
that's everything, let me tell you, after all. I
see him married to her, and the influence of
that family secured for me. It is no such great
honour, although great luck, — for my family
have been gentlemen for seven hundred years,
and how many of the families in the Peerage
can say that ! I see myself in public life,*
backed by the prejudices of others, and cou-
rage of my own, — governing fools, and out-
manoeuvring rogues, — the successful schemer
under an old system, and perhaps the hero of
a new one." His eyes flashed fire as he spoke,
and he stretched out his hand, as though he
would grasp the future that he saw before
him in a grip of iron.

Singleton felt his blood grow warm, and
then he turned to Lepel, and spoke tranquilly.

" Well ! — I wish you, as Johnson said to

204 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

Burke, all the success tliat an lionest man
can." (Lepel laugljed ; lie was as cool again
as ever.) " I go to the laud of dreams — quieter
dreams than these. Speak again about Avhat
YOU were saying of mj father."

Lepel did speak, and the dialogue lasted a
long time, and when it concluded, it was with
an implied understanding that Lepel should
act for Singleton, during his absence, according
to his discretion.

Then Frederick totally changed the subject,
and pointed out to him several volumes of
orations that lay upon the tabic. " There are
two arts," he said, " more than any others,
necessary to the youth of our age."

" And what are they '? "

" Oratory, and the use of arms ! Let us
go down to dinner, and drink the healths of
Cicero, Angelo, and Mr. Nock!"

Frederick was exceedingly lively all dinner
time, and you never would have imagined for
an instant that he was all the time mentally
occupied in speculating on post-obits as a
means of raising money to pay bills.

Time passed on. There was a grand ball

SIXGLETON FONTENOY, E.T^. 205

at Heatlierbj to celebrate Singleton's appoint-
ment. Next morning he was to depart. He
had resolved to speak to his father on the
great subject that very morning ; but, strange
to say, Mr. Fontenoy had gone " unavoidably ''
out, but had left a most affectionate note to
his son, containing the final good-bye. Was
it indifference or tenderness, thought Single-
ton, that had prompted this !

He knew not. It was enveloped in the
mystery which surrounded so much for him.
Once he thought of delaying his departure at
all risks, awaiting his father's return, and
pressing the inquiry ; but, for this, he had no!
courage. Speaking to Frederick on the sub-
ject was profanation ; and as for speaking to
others, he was prevented by a petty species
of fear, which sometimes haunts all of us, —
the fear of bein^j thouo-ht " sentimental."

He w\as accompanied to Husk dale, to the
coach, by Frederick and various youths of the
county of their acquaintance. A start, — and
he was off! Of the thousands who have felt
the sensations of such a moment was there
ever one who could describe them ? Here we

206 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

see the diyinity of the soul as much as in
anything, — that it declines interpretation and
analysis, — that it is a King who will accept
no words as its slaves. Here, as in every
inquiry, we find ourselves stopped by mystery,
— mystery, whereof the recognition and con-
templation is as beneficial to the mind as
darkness is relieving to the eye. " Let us be
silent that we may hear the whisper of the
gods."''^

When the coach reached its first halting-
place, the guard came to the window.

" Which of you gentlemen is Mr. Fon-
tenoy?"

" I am," replied Singleton.

" I was told to give you this when we came
here, sir."

It was a kind of little note, and in the
hand-writing of th^ housekeeper, Mrs. Camp-
bell. It contained but one line : —

" They used to Uve at St. Albans."

* Emerson.

SINGLETON FONTENOT, E.N. 207

CHAPTER XI.

Ah pity ! The lily is withered, the purple of the
violet turned into paleness.
Jeremy Taylor. Contemplations on the State of Man.

The dead how sacred ! Sacred is the dust
Of this heaven-laboured form, erect, divine !

Yo UN G. Night- Thoughts.

Raised on a slight eminence among the fair
and fertile plains of Hertfordshire, the town of
St. Albans has a site worthy of its asso-
ciations Roman genius and Saxon Chris-
tianity have left their witnesses there. The
idealist who has visited the most touching
cities in the w^orld may find a fresh pleasure
of the soul in that little town. And what
variety 1 The mind moves over ages at a stride.

208 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

From memories of Tacitus to memories of
Cromwell. Here died St. Alban : there sleeps
Bacon. Do jou 'vrant a more modern — naj,
a comic association'? Here Hosrartli met
poor wayward old Lord Lovat (that two-
penny Highland Marius,) as he was on his
way to London, to lay his gray head on the
block.

And then the Abbey! Vast, grand, and
simple, it looks rather as if it had been hewn
out of rock, than built. An air of very sub-
lime and severe simplicity attends it. It
breathes, as it were, the cold air of the
North; and suggests that it was the work of
men, who learning to bow to Jesus, could not
entirely forget Odin and Thor. Its charac-
teristic is a sublime utility, more than beauty
or splendour. You would pronounce it a
structure created from a deep feeling of the
necessity of religion — the child of the people's
devotion, more than the priest's pride. Utili-
tarianism was divine then, and this was the form
it took. Upon the whole, I hold the building
of this Abbey rather a strange freak for a
"barbarous" people in a '"dark" age, and

SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N. 209

difficult to account for, when we consider that
there was no member for the borough, — town
council, — or county paper, — in existence !
The St. Albans people have become civilised
now, and turn their " vote and influence " to a
more " practical" account ! Oh, that horrible
word !

It was a fine morning in Spring, and the
grey towers of the Abbey looked bright in the
sun, and greener seemed the grass in the

churchyard of St. X . In that spacious

resting-place there was a man digging a new
grave. He was a tall, melancholy, middle-aged
man of sour aspect. He had his coat off, that
he might work more freely. His arms were
red with the exercise, and every now and
then large drops of perspiration fell from him
and mixed with the heaps of earth ; for he
was working very hard — you might almost say
" with a will," in the cause of the coming
tenant ; in a word, you would have taken him
for a legatee! But in truth, he was only the
parish sexton, and worked professionally. He
had dug the graves of several of his own kin
with that same spade — a task which sounds
VOL. I. p

210 SINGLETON TONTENOY, R.N.

terrible enough, but "wliicli to him as a sexton,
seemed no more so, than murder to an
Austrian general, who has put down a free
people !

Whether it be that graye-digging is not so
much of a sinecure as of old, I know not ; but
I have remarked that grave-diggers do not sing
now at their toil. Our friend was quite silent
excepting a grunt occasionally, and stuck con-
stantly to his work ; when he heard a step
near, and looking up saw a young gentleman
approaching the grave, whose light step, sunny
face, and bright eye, contrasted very strikingly
with the place. The youth, though not in
mourning, was dressed in very dark clothes:
so possibly the sexton thought he might
have some business in his way. He looked
up, and touching his hat, said, " a fine morning,
sir !''

" Very fine, indeed,'' said the youth, quietly.

" It's a little chilly, sir, but my work keeps
me warm.''

"A very large burial-ground this is," the
youth continued, looking round.

"Yes, sir. This ain't the best part of it,

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 211

here where we are. It's best on the north
side. There's some fine dry lying ground
there, sir!"

" Some fine monuments I see, too/' and the
youth moved on, in the direction of which the
man spoke.

There is a beautiful and afi*ecting story told
of poor Chatterton. Not long before the close
of his melancholy career he was wandering in
this way in the churchyard of St. Pancras, in
a sublime reverie of poetry, when he stumbled,
and fell into a new-made grave! His com-
panion, as he assisted him to get out, congra-
tulated him playfully on '-'the resurrection of
genius." The poet smiled mournfully and
shook his head, but from what he said, it was
clear that he thought the accident prophetic.
And not long afterwards he drank of the fatal
cup, and added one more name to the list of
martyrs.

This story hovered in the memory of Fonte-
noy as he strolled away from the new-made
grave. He had come to St. Albans in conse-
quence of the note which I mentioned in the
last chapter. He had but one day to spare

p2

212 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

before proceeding to Sheerness and had
devoted it to this visit. And now what could
he learn when he was here. The case seemed
hopeless. Yet it was something to see the
sunlight streaming on the Abbey windows, and
to know that Romans had once been on that
same ground; and that perhaps on that very
spot some joyous young Tribunus had quoted
Horace to his comrade, and dipped into the
Falernican or Massican, long, long ago.

He was musing thus very absently, scarcely
seeing the gravestones before him, and almost
stumbling every now and then in the long
grass, when suddenly his own name flashed
upon his eyes ! He started, like one awakened
from sleep, and with keen attention, and a
heart beginning to beat, he stood at the foot
of the grave and read the words Ivy Fontenoy.
Why did he start so 1 He might have known
that his mother was likely to have been buried
here — but this sudden discovery ! — It seemed
as if he had just lost her by death — now when
he had first known her resting-place.

He was very sad and lonely there, among
this crowd of graves — this mob of monu-

SINGLETOIT FONTENOY, R.N. 213

ments. There is something sadder thau death
in a country church-yard. It is not only that
the form you loved is lying there, — and that
the ugly heap of earth which it displaced, is
basking in the sun, instead of the form which
added to that sun's glory. But then, how
wretched were the lives of the poor drudges to
whom the churchyard is a kind of second
union ! And oh, their memorials ! Sorrow
becomes complicated with a degradation which
seems to discolour its tears.

Singleton stood there in silence. Why is it
that all emotion has come to be classed as
"theatricaH'' Is it, that in our age, deep
feeling is only seen on the stage, and that we
look for nothing elevated or touching except in
the mimic life 1

But a new surprise came to him — a soft and
beautiful surprise. Neglect as cold as the
bones of the dead or the hearts of the survivors,
had left the other graves bare. But on her
grave, there was a bunch of fresh violets — the
first of the spring 1

Whose pious hand had offered these fair
gifts ? Some one, doubtless, who had known

214 SINGLETON FONTENOir, E.N.

and loved her, lived near — and to Singleton,
as he turned away full of this thought — the
sunlight on the town seemed brighter, and the
fields round more fair.

He moved away with a lighter heart. The
gi'ave-digger had gone. The wind was rising
from the Northward, and a slow solemn cloud
sailing towards the South, seemed to beckon
Fontenoy to follow to the Sea.

THE SEEKER.

To the Ocean now I fly.

COMUS.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N. 217

CHAPTER I.

** There was a ship," quoth he.

The Ancient Mariner.

Men are placed in command of tships still, who were

educated under the old system -'' '^' "''' and find them- ^

selves as much out of their element as Rip Van

Winkle, in Washington Irving's charming story, when

he descended from the mountain with his long

beard.

A Claret Cup, p. 91.

H. M. S. "Patagonian'' was built as a three-
decker, at a cost of £120,000, — when it was
discovered that she could not sail. She was
then cut down into a frigate at a cost of
£50,000, when it was found out that she would
not tack. She was next built up into a two-
decker at the cost of another £50,000, — and

218 SINGLETON FNOTENOY, R.N.

then it was discovered that she could be
made useful — so the Admiralty kept her unem-
ployed for ten years !

The " Patagonian/^ like some Lords of the
Admiralty, was noways remarkable for her
head. But she had a wonderful round stern.
She was rather sluggish in working, and alto-
gether was among ships a kind of nayal
hippopotamus. You might get iive knots out
of her, on a bow line, in a very stiff breeze, and I
believe, she once went nine-and a-half, with a
gale of wind on the quarter. In a heavy sea-
way she rolls steadily, like an old boatswain
who has had a glass too much. She has toler-
able accommodations inside, and upon the
whole, is more ridiculous than positively
objectionable.

When it had been decided to commission
the " Patagonian '' after she had lain for the
above-mentioned ten years in the Medway, the
next question was — who should be the happy
man to command her'? A Kent borough
became vacant ; there was an election ; one
Pannikin, a captain on half pay who had voted
for twenty years with the pinks, suddenly voted

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 219

with the blues. Two of his tradesmen did the
same, and the fortune of the day was turned.
Now, what was the exact degree of moral
guilt incurred by Pannikin, by this apostacy ?
Let us be charitable. It could not be much, —
for as the veteran was incapable of forming an
opinion on politics at all, it was scarcely a
sacrifice of principle in the proper sense of the
words. Be that as it may, it was a sensible
move. Not long afterwards. Captain Pannikin
was appointed to the command of the
" Patagonian."

Pannikin was one of those who " came in
through the hawseholes,'' as the old naval
phrase says, — that is, he entered the service as
a common seaman. He began his career as a
boy, and in that capacity was appointed ser-
vant to a Lieutenant, who was a man of very
great family by his father's side, — for history,
which delights to puzzle the investigator, is
quite silent on the subject of his maternal
origin. This Lieutenant was not without those
tastes (to which he may be said to have owed
his existence) which distinguished his illus-
trious father, and his boy Pannikin, I believe,

220 SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N.

with that intuitive sagacity which is a great
deal more profitable in a worldly point of
view to a young man than any amount of
literary genius, knew how to serve his master
without neglecting himself. But, quid multu f
He secured his master's patronage, and when
the ship was paid off, was appointed to
another, as midshipman. He had a good deal
of stolid, physical pluck, and in the days of
hot war this was of great service to him.
Trafalgar found him a junior Mate, and left
him an acting Lieutenant, for the ship which
he was in, having a fool for a commander,
exposed herself, about one o'clock in the
afternoon, to be "raked" by the whole broadside
of the " Santissima Trinidada.^'

On this one occasion, prudence was of more
service to Pannikin than pluck. "When a ship
is in danger of being raked, it is customary to
make the men lie down at their quarters, but
etiquette requires the officers to remain stand-
ing. Now, I suppose Pannikin was afraid
that if so brave a man as himself continued to
stand his men would be ashamed to Jie down ;
so, no sooner was it seen from the bow-ports

SINGLETOX FONTEKOY, E.N. 221

of the lower deck that the huge form of the
Spanish three-decker was crossing them at
right-angles, within a hundred yards, than
Mr. Pannikin, who belonged to the foremost
lower-deck quarters, gave the word to lie
down, — and set the example !

The broadside came ; there was a thunder
and a crash. Deadly had that shower been ;
several officers were killed by it. " He who
hunibleth himself shall be exalted " was veri-
fied in Pannikin's case ; he rose up ; the shot
had cleared the way for his promotion, and
he was promoted accordingly. It was on this
occasion that Sir John Singleton secured his
first claim to Pannikin's gratitude. Sir John
commanded the after lower-deck quarters of
the same ship. A word from him would have
fatally damaged the rising man, but Sir John
was considerate as well as brave, and main-
tained a compassionate silence. Indeed, a
bloody battle was just the thing to put that
brave man into a good-humour, and he stamped
about the lower-deck on the cork-leg which
(as I have said) he even then wore, as merrily
as possible.

222 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

After Trafalgar, Pannikin served under my
favourite, the brave, good, gentle, and accom-
plished Oollingwood, that Bayard of the sea,
whose graceful letters would have done honour
to a man who had never done anything in his
life, but write. He was made a captain iu
1818, and from that time to the year in which
the " Patagonian " was commissioned, this gal-
lant officer never saw the sea. With his prize-
money and half-pay, he established himself
in a farm in Kent, where he cultivated his
laurels, and what he could better appreciate,
his cabbages. He became a regular farmer;
he married the daughter of one, and had a
family, numerous and promising, almost, as
that of Priam ; indeed, so countryfied had he
become, that the big official letter, containing
the appointment which rewarded his apostacy
in the Potborough election, found him in top-
boots, beating up a hedge for a hare, with a
second-hand single-barrelled Manton and a
brown spaniel.

It was a fine spring morning, about three
weeks after he had hoisted his pendant, and
Captain Pannikin was with his family steaming

SINGLETOl^ FONTENOY, K.IT. 223

down the Medwaj to Sheerness. The Captain
stood near the man at the wheel, with a
nautical air ; his wife was near him, and Miss
Jemima, a fine, chubby young lady, of the
Dutch Tulip style, with a parasol as big as a
dandy's umbrella, was gazing on her papa
with admiration; The gallant officer, though
in plain clothes, looked very imposing.

Presently, a heavy coal barge was seen
sailing up ahead of them, with a strong breeze.
It had a huge black sail spread, and so may
be said to have been nigro similliina cygno,
as the Latin grammar has it. As it swayed
to and fro, there seemed a chance of a collision
with the steamer.

" Starboard, damme, starboard," cried Pan-
nikin, to the man at the wheel; The pas-
sengers looked at him with astonishment.

" You ain't allowed to talk to the man at
the wheel, sir," cried the skipper, from the
paddle-box.

" I'm a captain in the navy, sir/* cried Pan-
nikin.

*' That's nuffing to us. Port, Bill." Just
then the coal barge yawed. The steamer

224 SINGLETOI^ FONTENOY, K.N.

grazed lier. There was a volley of damns
from her. The passengers shouted, and Miss
Jemima started with the shock, and flung
herself forward into the arms of a young
gentleman in a blue monkey jacket and a glazed
cap, who came rushing up from the cabin to
see what was the matter.

" You cursed lubbers,'' roared Pannikin to
the crew of the steamer, "you ought to be
well flogged."

" Never mind him, Bill," said the imper-
turbable skipper ; " steady." So saying, the
skipper shook his fist at the man in the coal-
barge, who returned him a graceful salute of
a satirical character, with his fingers and nose.
" Too bad, — too bad," muttered Pannikin,
angrily. "Jemima, come here!" For Je-
mima had flung herself on a seat, and the
young gentleman was holding her parasol with
a sympathetic look.

"Come here, Jemima; the lubbers have
not sunk her yet ; but it's not their fault."

" Thank you, sir," said Jemima, softly and
gratefully to the young gentleman ; " I must
go to my pa, Capting Pannikin."

SINGLETON FONTENOY, U.K. 225

"Oh, indeed! Captain Pannikin is jour
father, is he ? I am going to join his ship."
So saying, the youth in the monkey jacket
walked up to the Captain, bowed, and said ;
" Captain Pannikin ; I must introduce myself
to you, sir. My name is Fontenoy, and I
am just going down to join the ' Pata-
gonian/ "

Here was a chance for the Captain's dignity
to assert itself, for it had been somewhat
wounded, he was afraid, in the eyes of the
passengers, by the skipper's cool impudence.
He gave a little kind of grunt, and said : —

" You're my youngster, eh 1 Hem ! Touch
your cap to your superior officer !"

This is a change from the country gentle-
men of Rockshire, thought our hero, but he
did as he was bid. Mrs. Pannikin looked
round at the passengers to see if a proper
feeling was inspired among them by this.
It is astonishing how the heroes of the old
school love to domineer, when they are afloat,
over gentlemen who would not be seen speak-
ing to them in Pall Mall !

"And how is Sir John Singleton?" en-

VOL. I. Q

226 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

quired Mrs. Pannikin, loudlj, and with an
appearance of great interest.

" He is quite well, I thank jou ; we were
at the Opera last night. Are you fond of
music, Miss Pannikin "i "

Here Singleton turned round and bowed
to Jemima, who, however, began to think that
it was time to participate in the parental
superiority, and answered with a dignity that
was somewhat forbidding. Singleton, rather
surprised at all this, waited a few minutes
longer with the group, and then bowed again,
and walked away to the fore-part of the
vessel ; here he meditated on his new position,
and mentally compared the Pannikins with
the Lepels, Pierrepoints, &c. '' A queer old
gentleman," he thought, "deuced like our
gardener at Heatherby ! "

Meanwhile, Captain Pannikin said to his
wife. " The seryice is coming to a pretty
pitch ! Why, that youngster's far too old to
come to sea. He wore a ring, too, and I
smell perfumes yet. The service is going to
the devil!''

When the steamer reached Sheerness, Sin-

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 227

gleton resolved to make the best of his way
to the guard-ship, where he was to pass his
examination, but, just as he was landing, he
heard a voice cry " Youngster ! " and was
ordered to go on board the " Sangfroid " hulk,
where the " Patagonian's " crew and officers
were hulked during her fitting out, — and had
to carry with him a box, two large umbrellas,
a washhand-stand, and two of the little
Pannikins. "When he returned from this
mission, he went on board the guard-ship,
a grand three-decker, in splendid order, and
it was when he first entered her middle-deck
port, and stood upon the middle deck, that
he began to understand what a man-of-war
was.

He found himself upon a deck, white and
fresh as a tree from which the bark has just
been cut : the lines which marked the division of
the planks were black and delicate, as if they
had been drawn by an artist's brush; above
him the beams were beautifully white, while, as
far as the eye could reach, was a row of lofty
and brilliant cannon, polished so that they shone
like ebony. On the sides of the ship were

Q 2

228 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

long, graceful pikes that seemed pointed with
silver, and tomahawks which gleamed like
mirrors. The capstan was veneered with fine
wood, and was handsome enough for a
drawing-room ornament ; and by the sides
of each hatchway, bright cannon-shot rested
in their shot-racks, like bagatelle balls in their
holes, no less polished, and scarcely less
pretty. Seamen, neat, smart, and active, in
blue and white, ran noiselessly backwards and
forwards. It was a scene that represented
in its perfection the pomp and beauty of
war!

He was shown, as soon as he announced
his object, into the ward-room, where were
seated at the table the various respectable
old fogies that compose a guard-ship ward-
room mess ; middle-aged Captains of Marines,
Masters of old standing, Lieutenants who
pretend to be somebodies, and young Marine
officers who are nobodies. They talk of
politics without knowledge, and of women
without principle; they criticise clubs to
which they don't belong, and talk of lords
whom they don't know ; they are great about

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 229

second-rate hotels, and discuss old anecdotes
over new wine !

Singleton found the ward-room mess em-
ployed as usual ; a copy of the United Service
Gazette was on the table, and the Master was
reading it ; he looked up —

" A youngster to be examined," said the
Lieutenant, who had been kind enough to
bring him in. The master growled. " I say,
doctor, you examine him first," he said, looking
up sulkily from his paper.

The doctor threw away a book he was
employed upon, and told Singleton to come
with him. The young marine officer, who
was seated in a corner, thinking of his
whiskers, cried, "Don't hurt him. Doctor!''
which was intended to frighten Singleton,
who, howeyer, was, on the contrary, rather
amused by the youth's absurdity, and mentally
quoted a line in Juvenal, in which mention
is made of " sea-calves," and of which we may
be pretty sure the young marine officer never
heard. The doctor having taken Singleton
into his cabin, bid him draw a long breath,
and then punched him in the breast ; by

230 SINGLETON" FONTENOY, R.N.

which performance he ascertained the state
of his health to be all right, and then it
became the duty of the Master to ascertain
his intellectual qualifications. A wink passed
between some of the mess as the Master
addressed himself to this task, for it was
popularly believed that old Tobitt's intellec-
tual acquirements were not great ; and their
own deficiencies by no means prevented his
friends from thoroughly seeing his.

" Now, young gentleman,'' said Tobitt, " Til
give you a turn in Rule of Three, and then
we'll see if you can write from dictation !"

Singleton was astonished. From the pom-
pous announcement in the Admiralty's letter,
he had expected something terrific in the way
of examination, and had come up, primed, as
if he were going in for a scholarship.

"You ain't frightened, are you?" asked
Tobitt.

Singleton laughed, " Oh, no sir," and with
great glee he went through his examination —
an examination just fitted to test a youth from
a charity-school, cet. 10, but which our autho-
rities, it seems, consider quite ' sufficient for

SINGLETON FOKTENOY, R.N. 231

gentlemen who are to be officers. But ridicu-
lous as it is, it might be as well, some people
think, to apply it to certain full-grown gentle-
men who are appointed to command ships.

When this was over, Singleton went on board
to join his ship, and reported himself on board
the "Sangfroid" hulk — a huge black vessel of
gaunt aspect, and dirty sides, with shirts hang-
ing to dry between the three poles which
occupied the place of masts. Singleton had a
good look at her, while the shore-boat which
conveyed him and his chest approached slowly
through the rolling waves. The ship's com-
pany were at dinner. A bumboat,* with an*
awning of canvass, lay alongside, well stored
with red herrings, apples, oranges, little pies,
tobacco, &c. ; and on this, a dog-faced monkey
perched in the channels was grinning, with a
greedy and cunning glance, prospective of an
early spring for purposes of robbery.

* I am at a loss as to the origin of this name for the
boats which supply our seamen with their " luxuries."
But the reader perhaps remembers a formal and
rather humorous remark of old Blackstone's about
the word " bum-bailiflf."

232 SINGLETON FONTENOY, Pw.N.

The "Sangfroid" was captured from the
French last war, and Singleton, as he gained
the deck and looked about him, saw a pistol-
shot-hole in one of the cabin windows.

" Fm come to join," said Singleton, to a
quarter-master who w^as walking up and
down.

" Mr. Bertie's in charge of the watch, sir,"
replied the man. *' He'll be here directly."

" And who is Mr. Bertie ?"

" He is a mate, sir."

" And praj what is a mate ?"

" He's a midshipman as has passed, and is
a waiting till they choose to make him a lieu-
tenant," replied the quartermaster, looking
surprised.

Just as he spoke, there appeared Mr. Bertie,
a man probably about thirty-five, but prema-
turely old, and with his dark hair already
dashed with grey. He both slouched and
stooped as he walked. His face was rather
purply — but not with the purpureum lumen
juventce. One of his fingers was cased in a
long finger of glove, for it had been cut by
something or other. The truth was, he had

E.if. 233

bruised it in strikiog a mao not long before.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his look melan-
choly, but somewhat fierce, and also, it must
be added, somewhat intellectual and noble.
He wore a seedy uniform, that seemed to fit
him very badly.

" Oh, you're come to join, are you ? A mid-
shipman, eh?"

" No — a volunteer of the first class/^

" Hum ! Rather old, ain't you "? Well, so
much the better, for I'm d— d if it isn't time
somebody should join ! Here, have I had all
the work to do, and it's too bad." And here
old Bertie went off into a regular "growl" of'
the most professional character, and terminated
by requesting Singleton to report himself to
the commanding officer, and to see whether he
would not have the first watch to keep ! But
probably, the commanding officer, who was
Lieutenant Primby, thought it a little too soon
to begin making our friend work, so Siugleton
was left to go down to the gunroom and join
his mess.

Descending to an infernal region, which dif-
fered chiefly from the regular one, in this, that

234 SINGLETOlSr FONTENOY, E.If.

tlie descensus was not so facilis as ifc prover-
bially is — Singleton entered a long gunroom
with a stove in it, the pipe of which projected
to an enormous length, and ultimately went out
at the port. A pewter pot was on the table,
with the words, " 0 he joyful,'' engraved upon
it.

When Singleton entered, a young man in
the uniform of a mate, who was sitting reading
by the stove, received him very kindly. Sin-
gleton had seldom seen a person who united so
much acquired to so much natural grace. His
face was oval, and of gentle and intelligent
expression ; his eyes were dark, luminous, and
soft. Many a shopkeeper's wife would have
given half the profits of the shop to have had
such hands. And his manners were graceful
and easy beyond all grace and ease but the
highest.

"People usually join the service earlier than
you seem to have done,'' said the mate to
Singleton.

" Why, so I hear, but I am glad I did not.''

" Perhaps it is as well, and this entry at a
later period of life some have thought would

SINGLETOIT FOI^TENOY, E,N". 235

be a good thing for tlie service, if it were
made general."

" Ah, that has been meditated as a reform
has it r

" Yes," said the mate. Then he smiled and
added, " Not that I like what is now-a-dajs
called reform, much ; but you, I suppose,
come from a whig family, from your entering
just now V

" Not I, indeed," said Singleton, laughing.
" My father, Fontenoy senior, would not thank
you for such a supposition, I assure you."

" Indeed," said the other, who seemed pleased
to hear this fact. " How did you get your
appointment then, for to my knowledge, one
of the most eminent prelates on the bench
tried a long time to get one for one of his
family, but could not, because he was a con-
servative?"

Singleton explained, and then they had a
good deal of conversation on the subject, and
Singleton found the mate very well informed,
and intellectual, and very tenaciously attached
to tory opinions.

" But we must be careful how we discuss

236 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

these matters before old Bertie," he said
laughing. '' Bertie is a very queer fellow.
He was the eldest son of a gentleman of
fortune, but through continued absence from
home and neglect of his relations, he managed
to let his younger brother in for his inheri-
tance. The younger brother makes him an
allowance, however, and when he gets short
he comes to sea for economy. He is a violent
whig, and almost as strongly attached to his
opinions as he is to his bottle. Do you know,
he positively has a prejudice against me
because I am a lord, and son of a tory peer."

" That seems hard," said Singleton. " May
I ask your name 1 I was not told."

The mate told him. He was Lord Alfred
Clarion, son of the Duke of Neville. And he
might have added that he was one of the best
specimens of his Order in the profession.

Not long afterwards, down came old Bertie,
growling and swearing, and helped himself to
some port.

" I mean to go on shore this evening, my
lord," he said. He generally my — lorded
Clarion, not as snobs do, by way of flattery,

SINGLETOIT FONTENOY, E.K. 237

but ceremoniouslj, to mark his own rank as a
commoner, and to preserve his dignity.
Nothing could have annoyed Clarion more.

" Very well, Bertie,'' he answered, quietly.

Bertie gave a low, rolling growl. " Mr. is
a title, my lord, as well as any other," he said.

" Very well, Mr. Bertie," said Clarion, quietly
again, and glancing towards Singleton. But
old Bertie, who naturally was essentially a
good-hearted person, was mollified, and looking
up, said, " I did not mean the observation,
disagreeably, you know."

" I did not take it so, I assure you." And
after this little fencing scene, Bertie took some
more wine, and then he called out to Singleton
by the usual title of " youngster," to come and
help him to unpack a carpet-bag. From this,
with Singleton's aid, he dragged out a huge,
broad-tailed plain coat, which he meditated
wearing that evening on shore. While fumb-
ling in the pockets, he drew out a card bearing
the name of " Captain Tinker," and after
staring stupidly at it for some time, the old
boy burst into a laugh, and speedily commu-
nicated the laugh to the others, by explaining

238 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

that last time lie wore that coat, about three
months before, he had had a quarrel in a coflfee
room with a stranger, which had ended in an
exchange of cards. But having returned on
board with his brain in a state of confu-
sion, he had forgotten all about it, and it
had never returned to his memory till that
moment.

"Not that I would not have fought the
fellow if I had remembered it," he said, and
this met with ready credence, for Bertie's
pluck was indubitable. The old boy now
brought out a pewter basin and began to wash
himself in a corner. While he was performing
this operation, Singleton looked out of the
after port at the shore, where the tribe of
Esquimaux who inhabit Sheerness live. Pre-
sently he was startled by a tremendous roar of
" youngster," and turning round, he saw Bertie
groping about like Polyphemus, with his eyes
half blinded with soap, and reduced to despe-
ration by want af a towel.

" Bring a towel, youngster, — quick 1"
Singleton rushed to his chest and produced
one, which Bertie used with avidity. After

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 239

this he borrowed a collar from him, and touched
up his ropj old whiskers with a pocket-comb,
mounted the eccentric coat, and prepared for
his departure.

" Now, youngster, give me down that cocked-
hat box/^

Once more Singleton obeyed orders, and
took down from the beams a triangular-shaped
box of a bronze colour. Diving into this,
Bertie raked up a cigar wrapped in paper, and
unrolled it. The paper was a five pound note,
for he was eccentric in everything. Putting
this in his pocket, and biting off the end of the
cigar, old Bertie took one more glass of port,
and then poured out one for Singleton.

" Drink that, youngster. Here's luck T' And
oflp he went.

Lord Clarion, who had been still reading
by the stove, and glancing up occasionally,
smiled as Singleton resumed his seat, and
said, " Well, that is a mate of ten years' stand
ing — one of a breed that will soon be as ex-
tinct as the Dodo. But don't suppose that
this apparent barbarism of Bertie's lies deep.
He is a very thoughtful and accomplished

240 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

person, and jou -will like him better by and
bye/'

*' Well, he is a luckj fellow to be waited on
by Norman blood," said Fontenoy, laughing.
" Kinss can have no more."

" Well," said Lord Clarion, " I am glad to
see you are good natured. That is a great
point. Good nature is the beauty of the mind,
and, like personal beauty, wins, almost without
anything else, — sometimes, indeed, in spite of
positive deficiencies."

At this moment the quartermaster put his
head in at the door. " If you please, my lord,
Mr. Primby wants you to ' look out," for he is
ffoins: on shore."

" Very well, I will do so, tell him." Then
turning to Singleton, as he rose to get his
uniform cap. Clarion said, with a smile,
" Primby is like England in Nelson's signal ;
he ' expects every man to do his duty."

With which capital mot (which the author
must state is not his own, but was heard by
him afloat) Lord Clarion departed for the
deck.

In the evening other new youngsters who

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 241

had joined came down to the berth, and
Singleton made their acquaintance. One was
young Lord Strawberry, one of the rising hopes
of the Whig noble family, De Fraise. Two of
his brothers were in the Home Office, one
governed a minor colony, one was in the army,
and one was a "commissioner/^ Alfred was sent
to pick up what he could for himself in the navy.
He was a little, blue-eyed, pale-faced fellow of
fourteen ; good-natured enough, but not remark-
able in other respects. There was also young
Bludgeon, son of a banker in the provinces
somewhere, who married a lady of family, and^
so got his share of public appointments ; and
Box, a sturdy young booby, who had been sent
to sea for thrashing the usher where he was at
school ; and Rowdy Gaffer, son of a magistrate
in London, before w^hom he had once or twice
been taken up in the morning, and who had
been thus heavily fined by his own parent, who
was a conscientious man of the Brutus order.

" It seems there's to be a naval instructor,"
said Bludgeon, mournfully.

" Tm cussed if I came to sea for that \"
cried Box, savagely. "I've had enough of school !"

YOL. I. B

242 singletojs- fontenoy, r.n.

" I vote we agree to learn nothing," said
Gaffer.

" We can easily do that," said Singleton,
laughing.

" Hear, hear !" cried Gaffer, taking it up
seriously.

" I say," drawled out Strawberry, who was
sprawling on the cushions on the lockers, and
who now stretched out his arms languidly, —
" I say, Fontenoy, have you seen the Pannikin
girls'?"

" I saw them this morning."

" What do you think of them, eh T drawled
the boy, listlessly.

"Jemima's what is called a fine girl."

" There's rather too much of her," yawned
the noble. '' Mother P's slow, and old P's a
plebeian."

" Don't give yourself any of your aristocratic
airs here,'^ cried Box (whose father, a radical,
had bullied Government out of this youth's
appointment); "Oligarchy's not the time of
day now. But I mean to lick that squinting
young Pannikin when I can do it on the sly."

" I don't see why we should be sent to take

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 243

care of the Pannikins/' said Bludgeon, with a
melancholy look.

" I gave one of the children to a policeman,
to take charge of, the other day, while I went
for a glass of ale," said Gaffer.

" The ship's company are gone to supper,"
said Box. ** I have a tick with the bum-
boat woman. We'll devil some herrings, and
have some rum and water. We dined too
early."

This was agreed to, in the absence of any-
tliing more interesting, and Box, putting his
head out of the gunroom door, called to some-
body to pass the word for boy Brown. This
unhappy boy was attendant of the mess, and
he presently made his appearance with a very
dirty face. He received his orders.

" Please, sir, Mr. McScrimp (this was the
assistant-surgeon) said the young gentlemen
was not to have rum."

" Curse your impudence, you whelp !" cried
Box, ferociously. " Bring the rum instanter!"

" I dare not, sir," said the boy.

" Let us cob McScrimp, — I'm game !" cried
Box.

b2

244 SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N.

" Hear, liGcar !" cried Gaffer. '' He's down
in his dispensary, in the cockpit."

'^Stop," cried Strawberry; "I can manage
him. Boy, Lord Strawberry's compliments to
Mr. McScrimp, and would be much obliged for
a little of the mess rum." This was said with
great dignity, for this young gentleman had
already learned that his title was potent with
a certain class of people. Box grumbled, but
it seemed the best plan; and indeed it was
quite successful. A suppliant lord was a
phenomenon that none of the McScrimp family,
till the present Angus of that name, had ever
encountered. It was not in snobbery to resist
it, and the rum was thus procured.

So the "youngsters" haying the gunroom
to themselves that evening (for Clarion retired
early) spent it very sociably together, and gave
each other long accounts of their families and
relations, and what " tin" they would have, and
what they did at school. They congratulated
themselves on their escape from home, laughed
at old Pannikin, vowed vengeance against
McScrimp, and went to bed in high good
humour.

SIJTGIiETON FONTENOT, E-N. 245

CHAPTER II.

Master. What cheer ?

Boatswain. Good: speak to the mariners : fall tj't

yarely . . . Bestir, bestir.

The Tempest.

Nauticiis exoritur vario certamine clamor.

Virgil. jEneid, iii. 128.

Next morning, Singleton awoke for tlie
first time in his life in a hammock, and as he
started out of a dream, knocked his head
against the beams above rather sharply. But
in the cause of our country we must bear these
little things. Besides, all this was Action and
a Career. At least, so our friend tried to per-
suade himself. But why anticipate disap-
pointment'? It is only at a later period of
life, that we begin to discover that there can
be no true action, till our spiritual tendencies,
and our worldly avocations work in harmony.

246 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

He who can achieve that condition, has found
his true career. AVhereas, to the great ma-
jority, viz., those who take up a profession
from accident, or interest, the world is nothing
but a huge treadmill in which they work away
mechanically — cither patient animals, or dis-
contented men.

The " Sangfroid" hulk was a line-of-battle
vessel, and the midshipmen accordingly slept in
the after cockpit, or orlop deck. In the centre
of this stood an amputation-table as it was
called, (a non amputando, I suppose, for no
amputations used to take place on it,) but
which they used to wash on. Here, stood the
row of little pewter basins. Here, the young
gentlemen performed their toilettes, each at-
tended by a marine as servant. Singleton got
liold of an old Scotchman to attend him, who
thought it part of his duty to be paternal, and
to give good advice to his master, which was
no doubt very disinterested, but which was
sometimes rather a bore.

After he had dressed. Singleton was wan-
dering about the main deck, when he perceived
the flutter of a green gown on the main ladder,
and this apparition was succeeded by the
descent of a youthful female, v»'ho, encumbered
as she was with a laro;e parcel, seemed to

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 247

find it difficnlfc to move. Singleton gallantly
stepped forward to assist her, and bj bis aid
she landed safely, and then ackno^Yledged tbe
courtesy with a smile. Scarcely bad she done
so, wben a loud, rough voice was loudly ex-
claiming, "hillo, young gentleman, steady there,
keep her away, ho!"

At these words. Singleton looked round, and
perceived an elderly man in a blue jacket,
with a silver ornament of mysterious shape
hanging from his neck, coming up to join
them. His manner oddly managed to com-
bine the roughness of a common sailor, with a
species of dignity hard to describe.

" Hillo, Bet my lass, kiss your old dad,i'
cried this old boy. And then he turned to
Singleton, " I say, my young gentleman's son,
you're beginning early. Now you had better
just up helm and be off, or 111 see what Cap-
tain Pannikin says to it.''

" And pray who are you 1" inquired Sin-
gleton, angrily.

"I am Mr. Bagg, boatswain of H.M.S.
' Patagonian,' ^' was the reply.

Singleton saw the state of things. The
young lady was Miss Bagg, and her father
could not but place any but one construction
on a midshipman's speaking to her. It was

248 SINGLETO^T FONTENOY, R.N".

an unfortunate prejudice, but perhaps natural.
However, he spoke very civilly to Mr. Bagg,
who allowed himself to be convinced he was
mistaken, and then sent his daughter down to
the cabin and continued the conversation.
" You must excuse me, you see, sir. Young
gentlemen are not always to be trusted, and
my daughter's just a-growing up. It's dan-
gerous."

Here a voice shouted down the hatchway,
" call away the ship's party." Out jumped
Mr. Bagg's call, and he gave a tremendous
whistle, followed by a tremendous roar. Sea-
men and marines poured up the ladders in
swarms.

" Mr. Fontenoy wanted," cried a quarter-
master at that moment, and Singleton ran up
on deck, and found that he had to go on board
the " Patagonian," with all the other young-
sters, to " learn the work" by Captain Pan-
nikin's orders.

The " Patagonian " v/as progressing as fas-t
as ropes, paint, tar, noise, dirt, and swearing
could make her. The topmasts were up, and
bowsprit out, and the guns were being hoisted
in . Perched in tlie centre, was a smart hatchet-
faced Lieutenant giving orders, crying, " blue-
jackets" here, and "marines" there, and

SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N. 249

though dividing the crew into these ranks, jet
occasionally addressing them in comprehensive
unity, by an unmentionable designation.
Here, mark the force of professional habit. In
spite of this, this Lieutenant was a gentleman,
and went into very good society, — and waltzed,
flirted, and twaddled, like ordinary people.
It is quite an affair of habit — and thus, the
honest scavenger, when his day's work is over,
retires to the bosom of his family, and becomes
a decent man.

" Hem, hem,'' cried a voice near Singleton,
and he beheld Captain Pannikin. The worthy
officer was red in the face with exertion, and
was somewhat in a state of perplexity. For,-
not having been afloat since 1818, he kept
ordering things to be done v\^hich nobodj un-
derstood, and using language to Lieutenants
which they did not like. That morning, he
addressed Bertie, as " you, sir," to that gen-
tleman's intense disgust, so that old Bertie,
indeed, came growling down into the gun-
room, and swore that he would write for his
discharge, and horsewhip him when he ob-
tained it. He offended Primby, the Second
Lieutenant, a West-end dandy of some stand-
ing, who set an enormous value on people's
"connexions," and consequently despised his

250 SINGLETON FONTENOY, EN.

captain, who ^Tore white kid gloves, and car-
ried a delicate telescope, like an overgrown
opera-glass. It seemed, that Primbj was
wearing a rose in his button hole, when Pan-
nikin came up to him.

" Uniform, Mr. Primby, hem ! Alvf ajs wear
uniform, hem!"

''Sir'?" said Primbj rather loftily, draw-
ing himself up, and glancing at what he
considered his unexceptionable attire.

" Roses, eh, Mr. Primby \ not uniform,
hem !"

Mr. Primby removed the rose, but he once
again fell into the mistake of putting one on,
which caused a feud between him and Pan-
nikin, which was never properly made up.
And this. Lord Clarion used to call the " War
of the Roses."

Next, Captain Pannikin had an unpleasant-
ness with his commander. Commander Modell.
This was an officer of the school of H.M.S.
*' Excellent," and more remarkable for science
than seamanship. He was a man of superior
understanding, and very considerable informa-
tion in the severer parts of knowledge. With-
out a quarrel, — yet it was evident, there could
be no sympathy betvreen him and Pannikin.

Again, the first lieutenant and Captain Pan-

SINGLETOX FONTENOY, E.K. 251

nikin had nothing in common. Lieutenant
Tressel was a militarj-naval man. All his
sympathies were with the sister service. He
had a very military bearing, and wore his coat
buttoned up. He made the band play his
wife's quadrilles, and was one of the first of
the reading public who welcomed with enthu-
siasm the dawning genius of Mr. Lever.

Thus the materials of considerable disturb-
ance already existed in H.M.S. " Patagonian/'
'ere she had left Sheerness. And as similar
elements existed in the gunroom mess. Sin-
gleton began to think that he should enjoy in
his first ship the advantage of seeing a great
many of the peculiarities of the profession. '

" Hem ! '^ went Captain Pannikin, as I said
above. *' Mr. Fontenoy, you must be my aide-
de-camp, Bring all the youngsters here."
And so saying, he drew himself up, and
grunted as was his wont. Fontenoy went off
accordingly, and returned with my Lord
Strawberry, Messrs. Bludgeon, Box, and
Eowdy Gaffer. These young gentlemen
having been shown into the captain's cabin^
Captain Pannikin began to address them on
the importance of propriety of conduct in
general.

"Now, Mr. Strawberry'?"

252 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

" Lord Strawberry, if you please, Captain
Pannikin/^

" What ! Oh, I forgot. Very well then, my
lord. But remember, sir, for the future, —
never tell your captain he's wrong. A captain
can't be wrong, ugh, hem ! " (These peculiar
ejaculations of the captain's are as difficult to
render as the Greek particles, properly — the
reader's imagination and ear must aid). "Do
you hear ? hem ! And, sir, if you were
Jupiter Hammon, you should do your work in
my ship 1"

Why Pannikin peculiarly favoured Jupiter
Amnion in preference to Jupiter Olympius,
or any other deity, was never discovered, but
certain it is, he frequently swore by, and ap-
pealed to him. The common notion was, that
having by chance once met the name in a
book, he had taken some fanciful liking to it.

" Mr. Box, I hear you went on badly at
school ; be careful here, sir, hem ! " Box
looked savage.

" Mr. Gaffer, I hope you don't like rum —
eh, ugh, hem ! " Here something stuck in the
speaker's throat. Gaffer mentally prayed that
he would choke — but he didn't.

" Mr. Bludgeon, now that you. serve the
Queen, pray sir, be smart and officer-like.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 253

Ugh I" For Bludgeon was one of those creep-
ing, melancholy fellows one sometimes encoun-
ters, who have a turn for mechanism — who
prowl about the decks, making experiments
with tar, and cutting up chips of wood — who
execute clumsy models in deal, and make dis-
coveries in steam that have been found out,
and rejected, long ago. Thus they are apt to
be slovens ; they borrow tools from the carpen-
ter's crew, and spoil them ; they litter the gun-
room with shavings and steel filings, and they
crib cartridges from the gunner. Bludgeon
having once incautiously stated that he meant
to join the Turkish navy by and by, was forth-
with raised by the mess to the title of Bludgeon
Pasha — varied occasionally by that of Roker
Bey. But if Bludgeon's tastes were not elegant
they were useful, and he was a very industrious
and intelligent fellow.

" Mr. Fontenoy — as you are older than any
of the others, I shall expect you to set a good
example. I hear you are studious — stick to
Inman, sir, ugh!" Mr. Fontenoy bowed.

This discourse finished, Captain Pannikin
went to visit the gunroom, which was being
painted and prepared for the midshipmen, as
it was expected that the hands would shortly
shift over from the "Sangfroid" to the ship.

254 SINGLETON rONTENOY, R.N.

Here he was followed bj his faithful young-
sters. Thcj found Lord Clarion (who was of
an elegant and fanciful taste) superintending
the operation.

And, indeed, Singleton was surprised to see
how much was capable of being made of such
an unpromising place. The beams and the
tiller (which traverses this nautical apartment)
were painted a very bright white. The two
guns were painted white, except the part
which was outside the port; and the body of
the cabin was done like wainscot. The
stanchion itself was under the hands of an
ingenious mechanic, who was colouring it in a
very brilliant manner.

Captain Pannikin looked round with obvious
astonishment at proceedings which had so little
in common with those he had been accustomed
to in his youth. At last he paused before the
stanchion.

"Hem, ugh — what's that, Lord Clarion, eh?
What do you call that V

" It is an imitation of lapis lazuli, sir," said
Clarion, in his low, melodious voice, and
bowing.

Pannikin would not have lived in vain if
Mr. Leech had been there to catch his air of
puzzled astonishment at these words. It was

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 255

indeed a picture. It was the old school
brought into contact with the new.

" Hem, ah — service changed since my time,"
he muttered, and off he went. The young-
sters followed in his wake — as he phrased it —
and he traversed the decks, one by one. All
was animation and activity. Primby was
directing the men who were getting in stores,
in the voice of a master of the ceremonies ;
Bertie was bullying away, in his usual style ;
while Commander Modell, who never conde-
scended to abusive language, stimulated the
lazy by the employment of a tone of polished
sarcasm and irony, which irritated them ten
times as much ; for sailors rather like a man
who abuses them in good hearty Billingsgate
slang, and thus the Patagonians had no great
love for the scientific and intellectual Modell,
who reproached them in the style of Junius,
and affected to imitate Fonblanque, when he
was calling out to the fellows on the main-
yard!

After this inspection, Captain Pannikin,
who was by no means an inhospitable man,
took off his faithful youngsters to dine with
him at his lodgings on shore. The advent of
such a band created no small sensation in the
family, and, apparently, some terror ; for young

256 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

Jacob Pannikin, the cross-jack-eyed (a delicate
naval name for one who squints), set up a
species of howl, and said, " Pa ! there won't
be enough !" Box would have liked to thrash
him, but unhappily that was impossible while
he was under the protection of his Penates ;
but his father gave a severe grunt, and checked
him.

The Pannikins gracefully condescended
during dinner, and it went off pleasantly
enough. That young aristocrat, Lord Straw-
berry, who was fast learning the advantages
of rank, talked to Mrs. and the Misses Pan-
nikin (the young rogue !) about the fashionable
world, all dinner-time, much to Fontenoy's
amusement and Box's disgust. What with
his eye-glass and this conversation, he was
indeed an interesting object of study, but he
did not perceive that the worthy Captain
himself was not so much impressed by him
as the women ; indeed. Captain Pannikin,
though a Tory (until the late election at
Potborough, that is,) had rather a dislike
(arising from a mixture of early prejudice and
personal pomposity,) to people of title.

When they left the house in the evening
(with strict injunctions to return on board the
hulk immediately), young Strawberry pro-

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 257

posed that thej should go to some billiard
rooms. Not being much taller than a billiard
table himself, this seemed odd, — but the Navy
is the most precocious of all schools, and they
T^-ent accordingly. The marker, with a proper
respect for their uniform, showed them eyery
attention, and Lord Strawberry availed him-
self of a stool to stand upon, that he might do
fall justice to his powers.

" What cussed airs that young whelp gives
himself !" said Box to Fontenoy, confidentially,
as the party were sauntering down to the
jetty, to take a boat to go off to the hulk.

^' The Pannikins were civil to-day, eh 1 "
said Strawberry, as they rowed along ; " A
worthy fellow, the Captain ! "

" You need not have come it quite so
strong about your titled fellows," said Box,
sulkily.

" Is it my fault that I belong to the
aristocracy I I can't help being noble, can
I, Fontenoy V said Strawberry, with a melan-
choly whine.

Box growled, and they said nothing further
on the subject, but reached the hulk in peace.

Day by day the fitting progressed, and still
higher and higher stretched the tall spars of
the line-of-battle ship to the sky, and cordage

VOL. I. s

258 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

gathered between licr lofty masts thick and
intricate, like a gigantic web ; the plain yellow
colour of her sides was changed for the chess-
board chequered black and white, which, if
I mistake not, was first introduced by Nelson.
The crew had shifted over from the " Sang-
froid ^' — our friend Bertie having taken care,
before parting finally with the gunroom, to
carve sundry words deep into the table,
regardless of the disfigurement. It w^as only
by regularly damaging, in this kind of way,
the deal tables formerly supplied, that our
officers shamed the authorities into furnishing
them wath the more pretentious articles now
in use in the service. Here, the philo-
sopher may observe a type of that extra-
ordinary species of public polity called
Agitation — which, by an analogous process,
damages the present good, in the efibrt to
secure a future one ! Pity it has not always
the same success !

At last, the " Patagonian'' received orders to
proceed round to Portsmouth, prior to leaving
England. New officers joined. She went
out to the Nore, and took her powder on
board. Then she spi^ead her white sails to
the wind, and curved her first line in the blue
-waters of the Channel

SINGLETON FONTENOY, RN. 259

At Spitliead more officers joined, who will
be introduced to the reader as occasion requires.
Public wants caused every dispatch to be made
in manning the yessel, and preparing to proceed
to her station. For a cloud was gathering in
the east, and the stately and gorgeous Alba-
nian, and the gay Syrian, and the grave Otto-
man, were assembling for war.

Before she finally weighed, she was inspected
by my Lord Muddle, of the Twopenny
Olaudian Family, of the English Patrician
Order. He was a sullen, sallow man, with a
worldly face, and a cunning eye. He bowed
to the officers, and remarked jocularly as he
passed the compasses, that they were " very
useful things'^ — rather superfluous informa-
tion to a sailor, but then we must remem-
ber, that this lord was a governor of the
navy under our present system, and was of
course anxious to show that he had some
acquaintance with nautical matters. He went
round the ship, then announced that he would
go on shore again, and was walking with that
object towards the stern, when Captain Panni-
kin, not without a suppressed grin, conducted
him to the gangway.

"Hands up anchor!'' A whistle, and the

S2

260 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

rush of man J feet, and the huge bars are placed
in the capstan, and the men bend over and
embrace them eagerly. The band strikes up
a shrill, stirring melody. Stamp ! stamp !
Round goes the capstan. The iron cable and
messenger rattle noisily along the lower deck,
like the chains of the damned. The huge
ship sways heavily head to wind, and the
white waves beat against her bows, as she
advances to the spot where the anchor lies.

" Loose sails, man the rigging, Vay aloft f
The masts and yards swarm with men, thick
as the leaves were upon them once, long, long
ago. High up towards the sky, where the
light royal masts taper, young sailor boys are
climbing like squirrels. The word is given to
let fall. Down falls the white canvass. Hoist
away ! And you see the topsails rising and
fluttering in the wind, full of life.

" Heave and a-weigh \" The cable is tight.
The anchor lies deep in the earth's embrace
far below. But human arms are strong. The
capstan bars are hugged desperately — like the
embrace of love — like the embrace of death.
Together ! " Can the earth which is dead and
a vision, resist spirits that have reality and are
alive 1"* There is a break — a start — a mad

* Sartor Resartus.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 261

rush. Round spins the capstan, like a dancing
Dervish. The sails shiver, as in fear. What,
had the fair green Isle of Wight broken
from its moorings, and like old Delos, taken to
swim on the sea that loves it so well 1 Ah,
we are away ! The mighty yards are swung
to the wind, and the " Patagonian," sublime in
its ugliness — like Mirabeau — is off to sea.

It was evening — evening in the early
summer, and sunset. The glorious old sun
was drowning in the blue ocean. All the
west blazed with colour, and he seemed to be
turning the wide sea into wine! There are no
perfumes from thy shore, oh England, but there
is refreshment in the gaze on thy green hills..
Pleasant are thy white dwellings, and fair are
thy snowy cliffs.

A calm came soon. The sea was covered
with shipping. There lay little fishing boats
with sails motionless in calm, and looking like
white butterflies resting on blue flowers. The
line-of-battle ship, herself, was still as a sleep-
ing giant. Her sails hung lazily down, and
her long, bright pendant drooped, and twined
round the top-gallant backstays like a gaudy
snake.

362 SINGLETON FONTBNOT, R.N.

CHAPTER III.

Oh, the glorious city, shining far aw^ay !
With its domes and steeples tall,
And the sunlight over all.

■K- ^f :?? H- «

Ok the glorious city, heaiitiful to see !

Charles Mackay.

There are only two things that are of the
slightest value against sea- sickness, and these
are brandy and fresh air. When jou begin to
feel the fatal qualmishness stealing over you —
take some brandy and go on deck. There is
Nothing else for it. Then, the more pluck jou
have the better. When you are ill, give in —
but like a man, like a gladiator who sees there
is no chance, but jet even yields boldly. Then
take more brandy, and keep on deck. How-
ever, how vain all advice on this terrible
matter is ! Talk of the maladie de pays I
What is that to the maladie de mer. It has a

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 263

tragic interest too, this miserable illness. For
when the good old Cicero (dear to all men of
letters be his name !) was flying from the
savage debauchee who murdered him, he took
to the sea, and sea-sickness drove him on shore
to his assassins.

How wretched Fontenoj was in the Bay of
Biscay, through which the old "Patagonian"
thundered under double reefs with a fair wind I
However, he hit upon the remedies mentioned
above, while poor little Strawberry was nearly
defunct in the after cockpit, and Box suffered
martyrdom ; for he lay down miserably on the
lockers in the gunroom, and an old mate
cruelly provoked him by dangling a piece of
fat pork, on a string, before his languid eyes !
A delicate piece of humour this ! But then it
was an old mate, one of those, no doubt, who
in former times, used to spit in their glass of
grog, before going out of the gunroom, to pre-
vent any one from appropriating it, in their
absence !

When the weather became milder, the
" youngsters " had to go to school. What an
Academe! A canvass screen surrounded a
wooden table ; inside this, they sat with the
naval instructor, Mr. Bobb, who taught them to
dishke navigation. Mr. Bobb might havj^

264 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

taught Charon how to navigate the Stjx as far
as sympathy and kindred thought went. He
was an eminently disagreeable little man, with
some science, and no literature. He knew
nothing of the classics, but could teach French
— I mean the Clapham dialect of it. He had
a prejudice against the Church of England
as Tulgar men often have, and had a great
love of money. So he sneered at, and avoided
the Chaplain, and was most intimate with the
purser. This was another Scotchman, (for I
have mentioned McScrimp, the assistant
surgeon, already), by name McStirk. McStirk
and Bobb used to retire to a cabin and
discuss a bottle together. McStirk bullied
his purser's steward so, that it was supposed
to be the chief reason why that poor fellow,
who was always of a melancholy turn, one day
committed suicide in the bread-room.

In addition to Mr. Bobb, the youngsters-
were instructed by the boatswain, by Captain
Pannikin's express orders, in the art of making
knots. There is the " running bowline," and
the " fisherman's bend " and the " crown," and
heaven knows how many more. Box studied
all these, for he had a great ambition to be
able to make a " colt " which is a curious in«
strument of chastisement used by naval men.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 265

It was this occupation that first brought
Singleton into any intimate communication
with Commander Modell. The youngsters
were assembled on the main-deck, each with a
piece of " inch-and-a-half," and Singleton was
working away in a state of great perplexity
when Commander Modell came up and said
" What are you doing there, Mr. Fontenoy ? "

" Making a ' Matthew Walker,' sir,''
answered Singleton, touching his hat, and
looking ruefully at the rope. Now, the said
'Matthew Walker,' if I remember right, is a
regular Gordian knot in its difficulty.

"Ah," said Modell, looking at the perfor-
mance, " you had better get the boatswain to
show you how to do it."

" It's certainly a ' dignus vindice nodus,' "
replied Singleton, by a sudden impulse of face-
tiousness, and smiling.

The Commander started. Then he smiled
also in a queer, grim kind of way. " Very
good, Mr. Fontenoy, but for the future, sir,
remember if you please, that it's not customary
in the service to pun to your superior officer."
Singleton begged his pardon, and was consi-
derably abashed, but Commander Modell was
rather prepossessed in his favour from that day,
though Singleton did not know it.

266 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

In the meantime, the gunroom mess seemed
threatened with one of those movements known
in modern times as a "disruption/' Party
spirit ran so terrificallj high ! And no wonder
— when we remember that at that time no tory
could expect promotion, and that every whig
expected it as a matter of course. The tory
mates used accordingly to lick the whig
youngsters, and so on — and upon the whole,
this political mess, when we consider the
purity of its political motives, the profundity
of its knowledge, and how much principle had
to do with its party violence, was no bad type
of more important assemblies !

One morning, when they were in sight of the
coast of Portugal, some sixteen of the mess
were assembled in the gunroom, variously
employed. Lord Clarion was reading, on a
chair near the larboard gun ; so was Somers, a
very sharp little mate of the tory party, with
an eye quick enough to see everything but his
own faults. Lovell, a tall, thin, spoony mid-
shipman, usually called " Lady Margaret," was
cleaning a flute which he dared not attempt to
play. The second master, old Plebbe, was making
a lunar on some dirty paper. Snigg, the
clerk— a facetious, satirical fellow, -was dozing
off the effects of last night's rum on the

SINGLETOIT FONTENOY, R.N. 267

lockers. Singleton was reading. Strawberry
was asleep, while Box was cautiously stealing
away the desk which supported his head.
Bludgeon, as usual, was making a model with
some hard wood and a blunt knife.

In came old Bertie, who had had the morn-
ing watch, and had just been dressing himself
in the cockpit. Every pimple on his purply
old face had an irate look. Clarion and Somers
interchanojed dances.

" Good morning, Bertie," said Lord Clarion.

" I wish you a good morning, my lord," said
Bertie, with a very low and formal bow. Then
he glanced round the lockers, and perceived
that they were almost wholly tenanted by.
" youngsters." So he coolly went and seized
young Strawberry by the legs, and slowly
dragged him away from his resting-place.

" Come, young shaver, you have all night in :
make room for me."

" Don't hurt his lordship," said that malig-
nant young imp, Box, who wished to see a
row.

"What, do you call that thing a lord r'
cried Bertie, lifting up the unhappy noble by
his trousers and coat, in imitation of a well-
known saying of Brummell's. There was a
s^eat roar of laughter, and Strawberry was

268 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

furious as lie was put down again. Just as
Bertie was composing himself to sleep, a hideous
noise, which was positively unearthly, resounded
through the room. The fact is, that the hand
of the ship had their mess on the lower deck,
just outside the gunroom, and next to it. And
this noise was occasioned by a fit of playfulness
which had suddenly seized the gentleman who
performed on the bassoon. This proximity of
the band was one of the standing nuisances of
the mess, a standing grieyance, and apparently
unavoidable. Over and over again had the
master of the band been bullied about such
noises — over and over again had he faith-
fully promised there should be no " practising"
anywhere but in the cable-tier.

There was a general laugh, just now, at this
noise, and everybody glanced at Bertie, who
was lying with his eyes shut. He was a sworn
foe to all music, and particularly to this
band.

The facetious clerk, Snigg, awoke at this
moment, tolerably refreshed by his slumber^
and wiped away a kind of apoplectic foam that
used to gather about his lips during his ster-
torous repose. Indeed, Snigg's being seized
with apoplexy was a thing confidently expected
by the mess, facetiously alluded to by many.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 269

and rather wished for, as a lark, bj some. He
now rubbed his eyes, and said —

" The wedding-guest he beat his breast,
For he heard the loud bassoon !"

Snigg was a very tolerable wag, and had once
read a great deal ; for, for the last six years,
he had got on without replenishing his old
stock.

Just as he said this, another sepulchral
sound issued from the band's mess. Up jumped
Bertie.

" By G— , this is too bad !" he cried. " TU
leave the ship, hang me if I don't !" -

" It is shameful," said Lord Clarion.

" Orpheus went to hell," said Snigg ; " and'
hang me if every cussed musician oughtn't to
follow."

" I shall cut the service, and join the Guards,"
drawled young Strawberry.

" Hillo — he's taken worse," cried Box, as a
still more dismal sound was heard.

" Human nature can stand it no longer ["
said Bertie. So he jumped up, opened the
door, and roared out to the master of the band
"to come in immediately. The poor man entered,
cap in hand very civilly, and was severely lec-
tured by Bertie for ten minutes. When he had
gone —

270 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

" Hang bands 1" said Bertie ; " there were
no such things when I joined the service."

" I thought you liked reform," said Somers,
with a sneer.

" I like reform, of course, and so do all but
the selfish, who lose power by it," said Bertie ;
" but every innovation is not a reform."

" Hear, hear !" cried Clarion, markedly. The
tories laughed, and looked at Bertie.

"I suppose that noise means something,"
said Bertie, sarcastically ; " but I should like
to know what. Some brays are as bad as the
braying of the band trumpets."

Here the whigs laughed. Box was charmed;
a quarrel among the " oldsters" was honey to
him.

" Nae doot o' that," said McScrimp, with a
most hideous wink and leer at Clarion and
Somers.

Poor McScrimp intended this as a sarcasm
against Bertie. He had no opinions himself
but toadied Clarion (who despised him), in the
vague and dismal hope that he would, at some
future day, be allowed to promenade his raw-
boned figure in the saloons of Neville House.

" Particularly the hraes of bonnie Doon,"
said Snigg, looking at him and mimicking.

There was here a general laugh at McScrimp

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 271

from both parties. Box shouted and roared
in a most exaggerated style ; so McScrimp
fastened on him, as a youngster^ and struck
him. Box was fierce, but McScrimp was twice
as old, and three times as strong : he got him
on the lockers, and struck him hard two or
three times. Box^s eyes flashed fire ; he was
as savage as a young bull-dog : in the impo-
tence of his wrath, he spit in McScrimp's face.
The Scotchman knocked his head against a desk
savagely.

There was a loud cry of " shame," but the
oldsters did not like to interfere with one of
their own order. Unfortunately thrashing was
not a very rare phenomenon, and Lord Clarion,
besides, was somewhat disgusted Avith Box's
spitting, although so provoked. The chastise-
ment continued, when, with a spring, Fon-
tenoy, whose blood boiled like a torrent, rushed
at McScrimp, and gave him a terrible facer
between the eyes. McScrimp uttered a^cry,
— struck out . at Singleton, — hit him in the
middle of the face. Whew ! in an instant the
blood of the De Fontenoys — that Norman
blood, on which poor Singleton prided himself
— was spurting all over his face. As he drew
breath, he tasted it : he rushed at McScrimp

272 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

again. Box liad jumped up ; and the bullj
-vvas pinned bj the throat.

" Stop it, stop it/' cried half-a-dozen fellows,
Tushing to the spot.

" No, bj G " said Bertie, who saw that

M'Scrimp had gone down, and that Rowdy
Gaffer had pounced in at this crisis, to join
his brother joangsters. Old Bertie grew feroci-
ous at the sight of blood and fighting. — " The
man that meddles must dare to touch me !"

" I appeal to you as a gentleman, and a
man of sense and feeling," cried Clarion,
coming up.

Here M'Scrimp groaned. The youngsters
were frightened. Clarion drew back Box, who
seemed to stick to his victim, like a gorging
leech. Bertie cooled, — the combatants rose
up, — they were separated.

" Go below, and wash yourselves, for hea-
yen's sake," said Clarion, laughing ; " we posi-
tively must have a Riot Act to read in this
mess."

Box, with a desperately swollen lip, looked
fiercely round. He could scarcely see Single-
ton, but he came up to him, and shook his
hand like a madman, and began to cry. — " It
ain't the licking I got, (sob, sob, went Box,

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 273

nearly choking,) it's because jou (sob, sob,)
were hit ! — Bless you, old fellow."

Singleton luckily came off safe, as regarded
the eyes. He wiped his face with one of the
handkerchiefs that Augusta Lepel had worked
his crest in. It was a nice time to be re-
minded of her !

The youngsters descended to the cockpit,
and roared out for their servants. — Down
came two or three marines.

" Lor, how gash ye look. Muster Fontenoy !"
said Geordie Webb, his servant.

" Water," said Singleton briefly.

" Ay, ay ; ye need it, Fm thinking ; ay,
ay. Noo, sir, ye ken, — "

" Water, Webb."

" Ay, ay," said Webb, who did not seem
to be quite as sober as he might have been.
In truth, it was thought by some people, that
old Webb had acquired the art (sometimes
acquired at sea,) of going through all his
duties with mechanical propriety, when con-
siderably intoxicated, and keeping clear of
punishment, without losing the enjoyment of
rum.

Webb slowly raised the chest, took out the
basin, looked in it, rubbed it vaguely, then
started to the main-deck to the tank for the

VOL. L T

274 SINGLETON" FONTBNOT, R.N.

water. While his master was bathing him-
self, he stood bj, respectfully, with a towel —

'' Let dogs delight,
To bark and bite,"

began Webb, musingly,

" Hold your tongue, Webb. — Hand me that
bottle.''

Webb brought out the Eau-de- Cologne, and
first put it to his nose before handing it to his
master.

Singleton looked at the bottle and shook it.
" I hope, Webb, you don't drink this 1" he said,
pouring some out into the hollow of his hand,
to bathe his forehead with.

If he had said this to an English servant,
the man would have bridled up, denied it with
indignation, and begged he would provide him-
self with another man. But Webb was Scotch
and the lower orders of Scotland are the best
educated in Europe, as we all know.

So he gave a quiet series of satirical chuckles.
" Hech, hech, sir, that's nae sae bad !" and ap-
peared to treat the idea as too ridiculous for
refutation. The truth was that Webb had
tried the bottle, and considered it " puir stuff,
but better than naething."

" Hech, hech, sir," he continued, " I tell ye

SINGLETON" FONTENOY, R.N. 275

hoo ye may mak sure o' my na drinking it, —
gie me some rum !"

" A clean handkerchief, Webb;" and having
got this without more parley, Singleton re-
turned to the gunroom. Box, whose swollen
lip pouted enormously, was there. McScrimp
was in his dispensary, and had put himself in
the sick-list. The same was done for Box, by
the other assistant-surgeon, through the agency
of Lord Clarion, who, with characteristic good
nature, managed to hush up the affair, and
prevent its being brought before the quarter-
deck authorities. All such complaints to Cap-
tain Pannikin ended unpleasantly, for that
great officer having no capacity for analyzing, -
and pronouncing, on conflicting evidence, used
to sum up generally, by saying that ** both
parties were in the wrong,'' which at least was
impartial, and which was certainly brief.

At one o'clock the mess sat down to dinner,
with all dispatch, for the ship was drawing
near land. There was soup at each end, and
at one end presided McScrimp. The youngsters
sat next him. This is one of the comforts of
the service ; you must sit, for weeks and weeks,
near a person to whom you don't speak, and
who perhaps hates you mortally. " Soup, Mr.
Box," said McScrimp sulkily.

T 2

276 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

" If you please," said Box savagely.

" rU trouble you for the salt," said McScrimp
to Gaffer, with the look of a demon.

Gaflfer passed it, with the glance of a ghoul.
Very agreeable all this, thought Singleton, who
was in a state of remorse and disgust.

" This is very good soup," said Strawberry,
good naturedly.

" Soup and bully, eh V said Snigg, nudging
him and glancing towards McScrimp. Box
gave a ghastly grin.

" Mr. Box, a glass of Marsala?" said old
Bertie, in a marked tone, while some of the
mess laughed. McScrimp looked like the
Dweller of the Threshold. Box, who was ready
to take wine with anybody, or indeed without
ceremony, drank very cordially. The Patago-
nians had two quarter-casks of that popular
wine suspended in the gunroom, to say nothing
of supplies below. What would Benbow say,
could he see a midshipman's mess at dinner
now-a-day^ ? Well, let him sleep on ! — if he
wakes a few years hence, I dare say he will
see a cordon bleu presiding at the galley-fire !

" Hands, bring ship to an anchor," cried
a quarter-master, abruptly thrusting his head
in at the door, almost before dinner was over.

The mess rushed on deck, and Singleton

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 277

to the mizen-top, which was his station, and
where, like the celebrated cherub, he had to
*^ sit up a-loft." The ship was running up the
Tagus with a fair wind. The deep rich blue
waters were sparkling in the sun, and sunlight
streamed over the fair undulating hills and
valleys, with their bright villages and spacious
vineyards, — fair nurses of diflPerent children,
pauper peasants, and rich grapes.

Near the man at the wheel stood a singular
figure, the Portuguese pilot. This was a little
fellow in a red night-cap and jack boots, with
a tawny wrinkled face, like a decayed lemon.
Fixing his eyes on a known village or house,
on shore, he guided himself by such land-
marks, and accompanied each direction with a
little convulsive jerk of his right hand. " Mak
him stabboard ; go, port ! '' There was per-
fect silence on board as the ship ran on,
broken occasionally by a plunge of the lead
in the water, and the long, low, wailing cry
of the man in the chains, as he gathered in
the dripping line, and sang out the depth
found.

Captain Pannikin paraded the poop with
his huge glass. Lieutenant Primby was on the
quarter-deck, occasionally pulling up his white
gloves, and arranging his collar and odorous

Viv^ *^fl^A-vi.r>%^-

278 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

curls. The military Tressel presided on the
forecastle ; the scientific Commander Modell
stood on one of the quarter-deck carronade
slides.

" Main-top, there/' cried Modell ; " where
is the industrious Jones V

" Here I am, sir," cries the captain of the
top, in high indignation.

" Ah ! let us have some variety to-day !
Let us see the top-gallant studding-sails come
in properly. Pray, sir, is that a tinker in the
cross-trees, or the congenial cobbler 1" I have
already mentioned that Modell was of the
new school, and never used abusive language ;
but I hardly know why an honest tinker or
cobbler should be so contemptible in nautical
eyes ; yet there can be no bitterer reproach
than to compare a seaman to one of these
mechanics.

" Take in the studding-sails and royals,"
said Pannikin, from the poop, with a grunt. '*

" Lower studding-sail tripping-line ; top-
mast studding-sail down-haul ; topmen up, to
take in topgallant studding-sails," cried ModelL
" Now, then, start the tack before the yard's
down/' cried he, ironically ; " do, — if you
please, and snap the boom. Shorten sail!"

Away started the flapping canvass, and was

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 279

got in verj smartl}^ Pannikin gave a satisfied
grunt ; for it was perceptible that the " Bra-
ganza/' Portuguese frigate, was lying in the
anchorage, with her great, gaudy stern blazing
in the sun, besides one or two of our own
ships ; and it was advisable that the " Pata-
gonian " should make a good appearance before
them ; and a gentleman, who unhappily finds
his pantaloons yielding while he is in a quad-
rille, sufi'ers lightly, in comparison with a sen-
sitive Captain, who finds his ship disgrace
herself in the eyes of a smart squadron. Poor
Pannikin ! he knew not what was impend-
ing.

The breeze blew ; the sails bellied out grace-

ijf fully. On flew the ship over the violet river ;

— y^the sweet shrubs that grow on the banks,

(a. U..-V, worthy of the golden reputation of the stream,

^*''<y' f4<-offered up grateful incense to the coming

^-"" '< children of the north; hill and valley, and

woods of earth's fairest plumage, and fruits

that hang like jewels on mother earth's fair

neck, were around them ; above — a smiling

Heaven ; before — more and more distinct grew

the town of Lisbon, stretching over rocky hills,

with antique buildings, venerable by age, and

gardens beautiful as youth.

280 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

The ship was going nine knots. The word
was given to shorten sail ; the fore-topsail,
from some reason or other, stuck., /- '

'' Let go the halyards," roared Pan-
nikin. '^^ '<^- ^'^

Now, Mr. Tressel on the fore-castle hearing
the words "let go," conceived that such a
desperate roar could only mean let go the
anchor ; accordingly this was done. The ship
was brought up suddenly ; there was a despe-
rate confusion. One fluke of the best bower-
anchor was broken ; there was delay, con-
fusion, humiliation. Mr. Tressel was put under
arrest ; the effect of the entree was destroyed ;
Pannikin was furious, and the *' Patagonian "
disgraced.

Why linger over the painful scene "? Let
us come down to the gunroom. Two hours
have elapsed ; the ship has been brought pro-
perly to an anchor, and all is over.

" I shall go on shore," said Clarion, " and
visit the Aqueduct.^'

" I want to go to the Opera," said Somers.
" Tadolini sings here, I dare say."

" I want to go to Ointra," said Lovell.

" I mean to visit the churches," said
Plebbe.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 281

" I want some ices," said Strawberry, with
a sigh.

*' I shall go and see the grave of Fielding,"
said Fontenoj.

" Bravo, youngster," cried Bertie ; " I will
go with you. I swear by Tom Jones !"

282 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

CHAPTER IV.

Hinc exaudiri gemitus, et sseva sonare
Verbera :

iENEiD. vi. 557-8.

Man is a noble animal splendid in asbes and
pompous in tbe grave.

Sir Thomas Brown>: .

The " Patagonian " had left tlie Tagus ;
had passed the huge rock of Gibraltar, with its
batteries lying like crouched lions at its feet ;
had gone through the Straits, and entered the
Mediterranean. It was a fine morning. The
sun was shining ; the water smooth ; the wind
lively and fair — and there was a seaman going
to be flogged. A picture of naval life would
be incomplete without such a scene. And
Britannia, in her character of ruler of the
waves, ought to be painted with a " cat '' in
her hand. Who paints Tisiphone, except —

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 283

. . ultrix accincta flagello,*

as Virgil has it? Or who draws Discord,
unless —

With bloody cliaplets in lier snaky hair !

after the same great master? Then, why
paint Britannia without the proper accessories
— if it be true, as was said by Napoleon, (for
which see Montholon's book,) that her disci-
pline afloat is only maintained by the " most
barbarous terror V 1 shall be told that the
old system is altered and amended. My
friends — read the life of Oollingwood, and you
will see that he maintained his ship in the
most admirable order without a tithe of the
flogging now carried on in any average yessel.*
And this was nearly half a century ago !
What makes the diff'erence '? The diff'erence is
in the commanders ! It is a known fact, that
some officers can dispense with the lash alto-
gether. The thing then can be done. Why is
it not so, universally '? Because the selection
of officers is bad; because the education of
officers is bad ; because, if a man finds himself
allowed to govern men as beasts, he will not
take the trouble to try and govern them in any
other way. Under the existing system, the

* iENEiD. lib. vi. 570.

284 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

blood slied in flogging is offered up in honour
of the stupidity and baseness of the captain
who flogs — as much as was that of the young
Spartans to the Diana Orthia !*

" Punishment at seven bells," said the quar-
ter-master, coming down into the cockpit,
about six in the morning.

" D — n punishment !" cried Somers.

" You think it wrong, eh V asked Singleton,
whose hammock was next his, and who was
prepared to turn out.

" Cursed wrong, to rout me out, this way,
after Tve had the middle watch I"

" I say — there's a fellow going to be
flogged !" said Box, running up to Singleton's
hammock, with an air of great curiosity.

" AVell — so much the worse," said Singleton,
peevishly. He was beginning to grow irritable,
now and then, in spite of his good nature.

" I think," said Lovell, philosophically,
" that fellow made a point of getting flogged,
because he knew I would be lazy this morn-

" They used to flog the youngsters when I
joined the service," said Somers, looking at
Box. Box grinned in a triumphant manner,

'^ See Plutarch's " Life of Lycurgus." (Langhome's
Translation,) and note i7i loc.

285

and shook young Strawberry's hammock by
the clews.

" Be quiet, Box/' said Strawberry, drowsily.

" Come, rouse and bitt !" cried Box, who in
a few weeks had mastered the slang of the ser-
vice, and I must also add, had really acquired
a good deal of seamanship. "Rouse out —
show a leg !"

" Ah, you youngsters ought to have been in
the service when I joined," pursued Somers.
" Youngsters, I tell you, were flogged then/'

*' Were you ever flogged ?" asked Singleton,
quietly.

" Well, Fm d — d ! It's like your impudence
to ask such a question/'

" Why ? You say you were a youngster,
and youngsters were flogged."

" Well, my sea-lawyer," said Somers, sneer-
ingly, " did I say I was one of them '?"

'• I see nothing in you to suppose tliat you
were likely to be in any way superior to the
general mob !" said Singleton, with a sarcastic
sneer.

^' I can tell you, my friend, that you stand
a very good chance of being licked," said So-
mers, turning very red.

Singleton, who was washing at the moment,
at his chest, looked up very quietly indeed,

286 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

and continued, " Ah, you are right rather to
trust to your rufhauisra, than your argu-
ments."

Somers advanced to him with a threatening
look.

" Stop, my friend," said Singleton : " touch
me, and I write for a Court of Inquiry."

There was a general laugh at this prepos-
terous announcement from a youngster ; but
it luckily happened that old Bertie, who was
also performing his ablutions at this time,
came over to that part of the cockpit. Bertie,
who could rarely manage without borrowing
some toilette article or other, used to patronise
Singleton in this way, and indeed rather liked
him. So he interfered, and no further alter-
cation took place.

Seven bells (half-past seven) came, and the
hands were turned-up to attend punishment.
The ship's company gathered together in the
waist and gangways in dense masses, close up
to the mainmast. The officers, with swords on,
were on the quarter-deck. On the starboard
side of the deck, just abaft the gangway, stood
the apparatus of punishment : two capstan-
bars secured against the bulwarks, with a
grating between them, and a grating below,
constituted the simple preparation. Near

SINGLETON- FONTENOY, R.N. 287

this was the master-at-arms, with a little cup
of water for the benefit of the yictim ; and two
boatswain^s mates were in attendance, with
canvass bags containing the implements of
torture. Take awaj God's sky, and the free
sea round about, and you might have fancied
you were in the Inquisition chambers in their
palmiest day !

" All ready, sir," said the master-at-arms to
Commander Modell, who looked very gloomy
and pensive.

Modell moved aft to the Captain's cabin.
There was a slight sensation among the crowd
of seamen ; the guard of marines on the poop
fixed bayonets. Captain Pannikin came out*
of his cabin with his cocked hat and sword on,
and moved forward with an awkward pomp to
the scene. It would be ignorance of human
nature to assert that it was cruelty on his part
that made him flog ; on the contrary, he was,
in his way, a kind and well-meaning man.
But he had no talent for governing a ship
"Without it : he found it established as a system,
and availed himself of it. He did not like it ;
but he thought no more of it than a butcher
does of killing a calf.

The prisoner (Williams, a forecastle-man)

288 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

was one of those stolid, ruffianly fellows some-
times encountered at sea — thoroughly valuable
sailors, but untameablc — who will do any work,
but who can with difficulty be subjected to any
discipline ; men who are constantly exposing
themselves to being flogged, but whom it is no
use flogging. On this occasion he had been
drunk, and when similar temptation came in
his way, would get drunk again. Love of a
man like Nelson might have kept him dutiful :
flogging he did not care for.

Captain Pannikin, as I said, came forward,
and the prisoner was brought before him.
Pannikin was very red, and felt it necessary to
make some sort of speech. It was pitiable to
hear the attempt : he stuttered, and stam-
mered, and grew confused.

"Sorry to have to do it — very sorry —
necessity — drunk — sorry — Stkip !"

The last word was said more clearly. Yet,
such is the overwhelming force of circumstances,
that the dread power which Pannikin was
using at that moment saved his poor, paltry
address from seeming contemptible !

"Strip!"

The prisoner stripped himself as coolly as a
man going to bathe. His bust was a model

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 289

for a bust of Hercules ; lie stepped with a free
tread on tlie grating, and was firmly secured
there, in the usual waj.

The clerk, Mr. Snigg, handed Captain Pan-
nikin the warrant and the article of war : the
Captain read them, and then motioned to the
first boatswain's mate. This functionary
stepped forward, and drew from the canvass
bag his " cat" — rather a handsome implement
— the tails brilliantly white — the handle
neatly, and indeed fancifully, covered with
green baize !

At this moment — it seems scarcely credible,
but such is the fact — the facetious Snigg drew
near Singleton, and whispered —

" That's what I' call letting the cat out of the
hag!"

Was this cruelty in Snigg ? — Not so ; it was
another example of habit. He had made the
same joke in many ships — particularly in the
" Bustard,'' in the West Indies, Captain Poker,
who flogged his men '' on principle," and who
had to make good, out of his pay, a deficit
of a hundred gallons of the ship's rum, which
he and Snigg (who was his acting purser) had
consumed, by the time she was paid ofi*, in
addition to their regular allowance.

Singleton was very pale, and fumbled ner-

yoL. I. u

290 SmGLETOIT FONTEITOY, R.X.

vouslj with his dagger : he drew his breath
invokmtarilj, as if the blow was to fall upon
himself. There was a deep silence, which
nothing disturbed but the low rumbling sound
of the ship's wheel, turned by the helmsman.

A whistle — down came the lash. And on
the fair white flesh dawned a row of delicate
crimson lines.

" One," cried the master-at-arms.

Singleton gasped ; but the man who received
the blow betrayed no more emotion than if he
had been made of granite.

" Two — three — four," and so on, were
counted, up to " One dozen, sir."

The man's back, that had been like white
marble, was now like marble veined: it flushed
with angry crimson. But he uttered no word
— gave no symptom of feeling ; till presently
stoicism became anger.

" Go on — go on : you're a poor old fool.
Your wife told me you was !"

" Whom do you speak to ?" cried the
captain.

" Any that chooses to take it up."

There was an uneasy feeling among the
officers : it is always a very delicate question
how to act with regard to words spoken by a
man under punishment. Shall we deal judi-

SINGLETOIT FONTENOY, R.N. 291

cially with what we wring from torture ? — that
would be too like the Inquisition !

The second boatswain's mate brought out a
fresh cat. For the tails of the first hung
clotted and bloody as a Fury's hair! This
cat was adorned with red baize. A pleasing
variety, and an artistic contrast !

The punishment went on : the man seemed
about to roar out some new insolence, when
there was a sudden confusion among the
officers — a rush, a crowd, loud whispers.

" What is the matter V^ said Captain Pan-
nikin, in a low, eager voice, turning round.

" Mr. Fontenoy has fainted, sir," said Com-
mander Modell, in a whisper.

Singleton was carried down the companion-
ladder into Mr. Primby's cabin, which was
nearly opposite the foot of it, on the main-
deck. As he opened his eyes, they lighted on
a sweet face : for Primby, who, besides his
affectations, had good feelings and a somewhat
elegant taste, had a portrait of his sister there.
And the sister was a very beautiful girl.

" Dear me — what a heavenly face !" said
Singleton, waking up in a bewildered way, and
staring at the drawing, without the smallest
recollection of himself for an instant.

u2

292 gmOLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

Primbj, who bad helped to carry him down,
laughed, and sprinkled his face with some
water.

Singleton came round, gave a slight, sick,
shudder, and then jumped up, and thanked
the Lieutenant.

" Sit still, Mr. Fontenoj, for a few mo-
ments,^' said Primbj, good-naturedly. " Pun-
ishment's over." The man, indeed, had been
cast off, and sent to the sick-bay, and thence
to walk the poop, and air his bruised frame at
his leisure. Singleton sat down accordingly,
and a long conversation took place between
him and Primby, which ended in a very
friendly intimacy.

A few days passed, during which the man
Williams, who had been flogged, was a
"marked man." Toadyley, the mate of the
upper deck, had "his eye on him," as he called
it. Well might a poor fellow believe in the
Evil-eye — that strange superstition — who had
to encounter the watching glance of Toadyley!
Cunning and cruel — plausible and sycophantic
— Toadyley was a valuable servant, and a
dangerous enemy. Williams did his work
sullenly, and sometimes seemed to grow des-
perate. Singleton, who observed constantly
the moral phenomena of the ship for purposes

SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N. 293

of study, wondered how this would end.
There was a lesson in store for him.

One eyening, the hands were turned up, as
usual, to " reef topsails," just after quarters.
Captain Pannikin had dined, and with a red
face and bloated look, paced the poop, teles-
cope in hand.

The word was given to take a reef in the
fore-sail. A man ran up bj the fore-stay — •
shpped as he reached the collar — and fell
down on deck. He was picked up insensible,
and carried down to the sick-bay. It was soon
known that there had been an accident all
over the ship. Captain Pannikin gave a loud
damn — (it was his expression of sorrow and-
sympathy) — and one of the forecastle men
took a swab, and swabbed up the blood.
There was an emotion of terror, succeeded by
a gloom, through the whole floating colony.
The hands were piped down, and the watch
<jalled.

At nine that night, Singleton went up
on the main-deck to take a walk. He saw a
screen hung up between two of the guns. It
formed a kind of cabin, and inside it gleamed
the light of a lantern, which flickered and
played over the white canvass with a ghastly
yellow glare. A strange silent spot this, in

294 SINGLETON FONTENOT, E.N.

the darkening shades of night! What holy
mystery was here 1

Singleton approached, and moving one side
of the screen gently, looked in. There lay a
grating; on the grating, an object covered
with a red ensign. There is a double sym-
bolic value in that ensign of brave England !
It floats over the warrior in victory, and it
wraps him round in death ! What a melan-
choly spectacle is that — the stiff, symmetrical
form of manhood — when the man is gone !

As Singleton turned away, the sentry
touched his arm, and said respectfully, " The
screen must not be disturbed, sir ! ^'

"Certainly not," said Singleton, in a low
voice, " But — sentry — who is it dead ? "

" Williams, the fore-castle man," answered
the sentry, " whom the fall happened to, sir."
Singleton walked quietly away, with his
heart beginning to beat strangely. He reached
the bow-port, and sat down, and listened to
the surging of the waters against the stem.
The ship was sailing almost on the brilliant
path of the moonlight, which stretched across
the sea. A footway of sparkling gold, this,
through the wide fields of ocean, and worthy
(may we reverently fancy) of being trod by
the feet of Him who walked upon the waters !

SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N. 295

There was a melancholy scorn in Singleton's
heart, as he thouglit of what he had just seen
and heard. What a wretched mockery of
honour ! While this poor fellow was a living
soul — a miracle, breathing the breath of God
— contempt and contumely were his portion,
and his fare was ignominy and the lash ! But
now that the soul was gone, and only its poor
"shell" left — when the Temple was ruined
and the Divinity away — the poor body re-
ceived most wonderful attention and respect !
It is a type of the justice of the world !

I wonder how often what is called reverence
for the dead, is but a particular form of the
poor survivor's fears of his own death '? How,
often, I wonder, do we take for a ray of hea-
ven, what is nothing but an ignis fatuus from
the grave !

The ship was hove to next evening, for the
burial. With all honour the corpse was laid
across the gangway on a grating. Was it the
same grating at which the man had been
flogged a week before ?

Singleton wondered if it was, as he stood
and watched the ceremony. The chaplain was
there, reading the sublime words ; the officers
were uncovered ; a flag was spread over the
remains till the last moment. And the scene

296 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

was lighted by all the splendour of the moon.
All was silence, attention, and respect. Death
had vindicated the sacredness of man. Satire
has no place in such a scene ; and Singleton
no longer felt scornful, but only sad. There
was a rattle, and a hollow plunge, and the sea
was in a moment silent, as became the grave.

" Watch, make sail ! Main brace ! Main
tack and sheet ! Haul away. Top-gallant
studding-sails ready for setting!" Let us be
off from the bubbling spot.

The "Patagonian" arrived at Malta on
August 1st, 1840.

SINGLETON FONTEKOT, E.N. 297

CHAPTER V.

" I do not see why there should be an Eastern
question/' said Hillel Besso, with an epigrammatic air.
Tancred : or The New Crusade.

One night after tlie arrival of the ^'' Patago-
nian " in the Grand Harbour, a large party of
naval, and a sprinkling of military men, were
assembled in Mula's cafe, in the Strada Reale.
It was the hottest period of the year. The
door was opened wide, that the languid air
might find a hearty welcome. When one has
lived in hot climates, one begins to understand
why the Greeks built a Temple of the Winds ;
and when one begins to understand, one ceases
to sneer. The room was papered in a very
ugly style — in compliment to the English, who
patronized it ! The designer of this graceful
tapestry had evidently wished to flatter us, as

298 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

a, sporting nation. It represented a stag-hunt.
The huntsmen wore the orthodox top-boots,
and carried huge whips. They were leaping
high gates, and struggling in impassable fences.
At one end was represented the catastrophe.
A man with a large weapon was cutting the
stag's throat ferociously.

The frequenters of the cafe were seated at
neat little tables of mahogany — some of
marble. Ices of all colours were much in
YOgue, pale lemon and rich red preponderating.
A thin haze of cigar smoke curled in blue
rings along the roof. Some gentlemen were
sipping coffee, and some were colouring their
lemonade with the aid of brandy.

" Indeed,^' said Lord Clarion, in reply to a
rather energetic sentence from a young officer,
whose small, round waist was girt by a scarlet
sash, which, falling over his brilliantly white
trowsers, made his appearance somewhat
picturesque. " You think these eastern diffi-
culties will end in an European warl"

"Yes. All our fellows think so. Thiers
is warlike by nature. There is a strong war
party in France, and their fleet, I hear, was
never in better order."

" Ah ! But there have been so many false
war-alarms.''

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 299

" True. Yet there must be war some time,
and this eastern question is a crisis/'

" What is the eastern question?" asked a
young artillery officer, somewhat affisctedly.

" What, Charley, you want to puzzle us by
the interrogatory plan'? You must know,
Clarion, he is a great theorist. He has a
project for settling the eastern difficulty by
making Lamartine King of Syria."

" And giving the kingdom of Greece to Ben
D'Israeli," added the artillery officer, seriously.
He was of a speculative turn, and had nothing
to do all the year round, except occasionally to
fire cannon at a target from Fort Ricasoli; so
he dabbled in speculation with most singular
results.

" Where is the Admiral T asked Clarion.

" I believe he's en route to Alexandria. The
Commodore's at Beyrout, in his ship, the
' Powerful,' '' answered a lieutenant of the
"Jupiter," a line-of-battle ship then in the
harbour. " Suleiman Pasha's in command at
Beyrout with ten thousand troops, and Ibrahim
Pasha and the Emir Beschir are in the neigh-
bourhood. We will all be off soon, depend on
it. Won't there be fighting!"

" Fee-fa-fum !" cried Snigg, from a neigh-
bouring table, where he had planted himself

300 SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N.

with some brandy and water, " I smell tlie
blood of an Egyptian man/'

The military officer who had spoken first
(Bechamel, of a regiment stationed in the
island) looked round, rather haughtily, at these
extraordinary sounds.

" Will you fight, Snigg V asked Somers, who
was smokino: a ciirar.

"Til do anything if I am paid for it,"
answered Snigg, philosophically. " What a lot
of our fellows will be killed in Syria without
knowing what they are fighting about."

" We must put down Mehemet Ali," said a
second master, looking round for applause.

" I should like to have one of his pipes,"
said a midshipman. " Will there be any
plunder'?"

Bechamel rose, and Lord Clarion went out
with him. The remainder of the officers drew
near each other, and went on talking about the
squadron and the impending war. Snigg esta-
blished himself with a number of youngsters
Tound him. He delighted to be king among a
group of admiring boys, to study their cha-
racters; and would even make them tipsy, that
he might do so to advantage. Snigg had
very good talents and qualities; but as the
<;onstant dropping of water will wear away

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 301

stone, what cannot a constant succession of
drops of rum-and-water effect inthe same
wajl

" I Say Mehemet Ali must be put down/'
said the second master again, striking the table
emphatically.

" Poor old gentleman/' said Snigg, ironically ;
"What has he doner'

" He poisoned a man with coffee, once,'' said ^
the second master.

" By Jove I think Mula has been taking a
hint from him then/' said Snigg, '' for his coffee
is execrable. Do you hear that, Mula ? Bring
me some lemonade, and a little brandy in it;
or, on second thoughts, Mula, never mind the
lemonade. Bring the brandy by itself." A
general laugh followed this characteristic speech.

" Well, I shall be sorry to leave Malta," said
Box, pensively.

" Malta's an interesting island," said Lovell,
with a spoony look.

" St. Paul was shipwrecked here," added the
second master, with an erudite air.

" Yes," struck in Snigg, brandishing his
spoon ; " and almost the first things he came
across were a bundle of sticks wdth a viper
inside them — doosed emblematic of the so-
ciety !" And Snigg laughed cheerfully.

302 SINGLETON FONTENOY, K.N.

•^ Did you ever dine with the Capuchins 1"
asked Somers of Lovell. .

" No."

" Ah, then you have a treat to come, if they
choose to ask you. They give the best feeds
in the island."

" What an excellent body of men 1" said
Snigg, piously.

At this moment there was a new arrival.
It was a midshipman belonging to one of the
ships in the harbour. He had his sword on,
and he appeared somewhat flurried. Glancing
hastily round the room, his eye lighted on
Somers. He bowed.

" You belong to the ' Patagonian,' I be-
lieve?"

" Yes," said Somers.

" The steamer has come in from Alexandria
with dispatches. There has been a signal
made to you from the Palace to prepare for
sea."

Three or four of the "Patagonian's" fellows
jumped up ; the midshipman only waited to
swallow some wine and water, and then hastened
away.

" I suppose we had better go on board, ehl"
said Somers, looking round.

" She can't sail till the morning, surely.''

SIXGLETOIT FONTENOY, R.N. 303

" Mula, how's the wind V cried out Snigg,
with a thick Yoice. Come here, waiter, — how's
the wind, ehV

" How I know, sar V asked the waiter, a
dignified Maltese, sharply.

" Silence, zanzir"* said Snigg, who had been
out on the Mediterranean station before, and
knew just enough Maltese to be able to abuse
the natives a little.

" We can't sail without wind," said Snigg,
looking round, stupidly.

" There is a steamer in the harbour. She
will tow us out."

"We had better go," said Lovell, rising and
putting on his cap.

" Come along, Silenus," said Somers to Snigg.

" Silenus always had an ass with him, so I
will go with you," returned Snigg, who was
never without a retort.

" Let us have some beccaficos and cham-
pagne," cried Hillerton, of the " Jupiter," coming
in. He had just won five pounds at billiards
in Strada Forni, and was in high good humour.

" I will join you," said a little fellow, called
Pug Welby. "You poor Patagonians are
going to sea ; I pity you."

Pig-

304 SmGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

" Partant pour la Syrie'^ sang out Hillerton,

gaily.

" Ah " said Pug Welby. *' War is a bore."
" Thank God, the * Jupiter' sails very fast,
and can run away if need be,'' said Hillerton,
facetiously.

The Patagonians dared stay no longer, so
they all sallied out, and passing down Strada
San Giovanni, and so on down Nix Mangiare,
and through the Lascaris', soon reached a boat
and went off. At daylight the " Patagonian "
was towed out. The wind was westerly, and
she started for Syria.

The " Patagonian" went to take her share in
that war which terminated in the reduction of
Mehemet Ali to his obedience to the Sublime
Porte ; or, in other words, in the submission
of the greatest man that the East has produced
since Solyman the Magnificent, to the sway of
an effete Government. If hero-worship be
true, it was false, and unless human nature
change, it will be regretted.

From 1806, when Mehemet won by his
genius the Pashalik of Egypt, to the year in
w^hich this war was perpetrated, the country
developed and improved, as only countries do
under the supreme dominion of a great man.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 305

Oravity is not more decidedly the one mighty
law of the physical, than the influence of indi-
vidual character is of the moral world. No
matter what the age or the circumstances. It
was a man that made Russia an empire : and
a man that made Prussia a camp. Artificial
as is the mechanism of the British Constitution,
England at its best periods has always been
governed by some one great individual. I
need only mention the name of Oromw^ell :
but look at the last century. In its palmiest
years, was it not the name and brain of
Ohatham that ruled Eagland — three estates
and all ?

To Egypt, Mehemet Ali was a second Nile!
He had certainly some terrible work to do.
He came down — as Mr. Oarlyle finely says of
Cromwell — " like the hammer of Thor." How
he destroyed the Mamelukes, all men know.
But though the East is proverbially the land of
roses, nothing greater can be accomplished
with rosewater there than elsewhere !

The Porte w^atched his progress. They saw
his revenues increasing. Improvement sug-
gested nothing to them but increased Tribute,
and the Sultan demanded more " purses" with
the coolness of a highwayman. Alas for the
" Asian Mystery." The East is an enchanted

VOL. I. X

306 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

land only in romance. We find on inquiring
into its politics, often nothing better than dull
imitations of European cunning and meanness.
We find ourselves face to face with Downing
Street in a turban, windbags smoking a chi-
bouque, and snobs dominant in a divan.

Mehemet seized Syria and probably might
have seized Stamboul. But now the " balance
of power" required that the allies should take
up the cause of the Porte. What is this balance
of power 1 It is neutralisation of power ! It
is a propping up of two swords against each
other, making both useless. It is an organized
impotence. It keeps the East compulsorily
stagnant, by preventing its development through
the agency of such men as Mehemet. This
Libra of the political zodiac, in fact, is a
coward's farce. It creates the difficulty of
which its supporters are everywhere begging
the solution. Well, Mehemet Ali was checked
in 1840. What has been gained by it?
Syria has gained nothing, and most certainly
not Egypt. And how stands the great ques-
tion, that of Russia's position with regard to
the Porte ? Does or does not the day draw
nearer, which shall see the eagle floating on
the Bosphorus, and when a Sclavonian shall
blaspheme Mahomet in the proudest of his
temples ?

SmGLETOK FONTEITOT, R.N. 307

In 1840, we went yigorouslj to work. It
was a grand, Oomuion-place Crusade. We had
marines eating beef in Sidon, and we inundated
Lebanon with second-hand Birmingham mus-
kets. We frightened merchants, destroyed
mulberry trees, and killed camels. The Syrian
war is the most memorable example of the em-
ployment of brute force, and the triumph of
sheer material strength, that modern times can
furnish. A sad want of dignity attends its his-
tory. Its operations were complicated by dis-
cordant orders, disgraced by petty jealousies
between the commanders, and chronicled in^dis-
patches redolent of slang. In a word, we did not
conquer the great Pasha, we thrashed him.

I do not admire the plan of disposing of the
East " on the allotment system" as it^'maylbe
called, propounded by Louis Blanc in his " Ten
Years.'^ But when I think of some of our
political operations, I heartily concur with that
celebrated writer, in his contempt for those,
who, as he says, (with a point worthy of
Rochefoucauld) " think that they are practical,
because they are mediocre."

And now to resume my story,

. . nunc horrentia Martis !

as friend Virgil hath it.

x2

308 SINGLETON FONTENOT, E.N.

CHAPTER VI.

Bellura scripturus sum

Sallust. Bell. Jug.

'' Land, ahead/' cried the look-out man just
after daylight, one morning.

"Mr. Fontenoy, go up to the masthead,
and take a look at it," said Lieutenant Primbj.

Fontenoy seized his Dollond, hung it round
him by the strap, and rushed away forward.
Lord Clarion, who had charge of the fore-castle
in the same watch, was regaling himself with
a cup of ship's cocoa on the booms. And he
might have had a worse beverage at that
hour.

"Ah, good morning, Fontenoy," he said.
"You will have the first peep at Syria."
Fontenoy skipped up the Jacob's ladder, and
was soon running up the fore-rigging. When

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 309

he reached the cross-trees, he found the look-
out man comfortably seated on the fore-top-
sail yard, with his legs dangling down.

" There's land, sir,'' said the man, pointing
forward to the horizon. Singleton rested the
glass on the yard in as convenient a posi-
tion as he could command. Yes ! — there was
land, sure enough. A line of white moun-
tains, barren and stony, was rising out of the
blue horizon like an enchanted castle. Leba-
non, by Jove ! And the sun was tinging its
summit as he rose too. Singleton took a long,
deep glance at it, and thought of Lalla Rookh.

"That's land, sir, eh?' said the look-out
man.

"No mistake about that,'' said Singleton,
gaily. So saying, he put the glass over his
neck again, and with an impulse of playful-
ness (for it was a delicious morning, and his
blood was as lively as the quicksilver in a
thermometer) he got on the foot-rope of the
yard, and leaning over it, gazed far over
the horizon. Day was dawning, clearer and
clearer, over the sea, which was rolling in
long, unbroken blue waves. The wind was
setting in towards the coast, and the ship was
running steadily along before it with the
yards square. Singleton bent over the yard.

310 SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N.

The fore-top-sail bellied steadily out under-
neath him, and the reef-points on it ^vere
dangling as merrily in the wind as a girl's
ringlets !

Perhaps it was this fancy that completed
Singleton's happiness. More gaily than ever
he moved out towards the yard-arm, and
gazed abstractedly before him once more.

In a few moments he felt the top-gallant-
sail shake, and heard the boatswain's mate's
pipe ring shrilly on deck.

" Hold on, sir," cried the look-out man
suddenly. Singleton's heart gave a desperate
throb, as he felt the yard start. The braces
were in motion, as the sails were being
trimmed. Singleton did hold on with despe-
rate tenacity. The look-out man bellowed to
the people on deck. The braces were made
fast for a moment, and my hero ''laid in,"
and got upon the topmast-rigging with re-
markable alacrity. The ideal tendencies are
confoundedly dangerous aloft !

He came down on deck, and reported to
Primby, who laughed at the adventure which
he had just had. and offered him some coffee.
Primby always had a good "watch-stock" in his
watch, and one night, when he was in the
" Pelham," in the West Indies, he gave a kind

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 311

of supper to the fellows in liis watch at about
two o'clock in the morning, which terminated
curiously enough. The traj was placed near
the hatchway, well covered with provisions,
and they were all pitching into them when a
noise was heard which made them start like
the mice in Horace's fable : —

. . . quum subito ingens
Valvarum strepitus lectis excussit utrumque.-'*

In fact, the admiral, that great man. Sir
Booby Booing, was astir! In a minute or two
they heard his step on the companion-ladder,
as he hobbled up. There was nothing for it;
they tilted the tray over the combings of the
hatchway ! It thundered down below, smash-
ing the china plates with the mess-arms on
them, and all the apparatus of that feast.
When the admiral reached the deck, he found
the officers of the watch walking about in the
most regular manner.

At four bells (six o'clock,) Captain Pannikin
emerged from his cabin, enveloped in a huge
blue pilot-coat ; he nodded sulkily in return to
Primby's salute.

" Lash up hammocks, Mr. Primby."

The order was given, and the men began to

* Sat. Lib. ii. 6.

312 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

" take up their beds and walk," as Mr.Bagg, tlie
boatswain, who was a profane old rascal, used
to shout out to them. As the " Patagonian'*
drew near the land, the Bay of Bejrout was
seen swarming with vessels. Up went the
" Patagonian's" number, and shortly after-
wards she saluted the Commodore, whose blue
burgee floated from the " Powerful." The signal
officer was on the fore-castle, when three balls
were seen flying up to the " Powerful's" mast-
head. They broke, and as the grub bursts
into a butterfly, broke into bright flags !

" Bring the signal-book," shouted Lovell^
who was signal-officer. The man came running
up with it. Captain Pannikin stood by,,
anxiously.

« Well, Mr. Lovell V

Lovell gave a long thirsty look. — " 3 — 2 — '*

" Well, sir, well V

" Reconnoitre," cried Lovell. — Captain
Pannikin was intensely excited.

" Sail to windward," shouted the look-out-
man.

" Fleet to windward 1" cried Lovell almost
at the same moment, interpreting the bright
symbols.

The captain stamped on the deck with rage.
« By G — it's too bad. Call down the look-

SINGLETON PONTENOY, R.N. 313

out man and put him in irons ; we ought to
have seen them half-an-hour ago. — Turn the
hands up !"

Out came Mr. Bagg's call. Mr. Bagg had
been too long at sea to be excited at anything,
so as he saw the captain go fuming aft, he only
winked his eye, and 'muttered something about
" a bear with a sore head.^^ Then his pipe
thrilled the decks, and the Jiatches began to
vomit up the men, — it is not a pleasant meta-
phor, but it hits the thing, — with the utmost
violence.

In came the studding-sails. The " Patago-
nian'' hauled her wind, which was now rising
fast, and laid her head towards the horizon.
Again the vision of Beyrout began to grow
dim, but what a sight there was to windward !
Like the spires of a great town seen from some
distant spot, rose tall masts from the sea !

Now, at this time, a war with France was
daily expected. The French had a squadron
of some "twenty ships \ not far from Beyrout.
Had they descended as enemies on that bay,
ten days before Beyrout was attacked, and our
force landed, they would have found an enemy
only a third of their number. What would
have been the result ? This I will say, that
if any man living could have fought them

314 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

under such circumstances, Commodore Napier
was that man. But I decline to speculate any
further !

Captain Pannikin, of course, not knowing
what this fleet was, thought it safest to clear
for action, and gave the order with a great
deal of gusto. Indeed, there can be no doubt,
that he would not have stuck for an instant, at
bombarding any thing that ever floated, from
Noah's Ark down to the Gomer.

But as the " Patagonian '' drew nearer with
all her men at quarters, and the guns loaded,
Pannikin armed with his sword, to say no-
thing of Fontenoy with his dirk, which was
not the least imposing spectacle of the day ! —
the fleet turned out to be gallant old Stopford
with his reinforcement, and some Turkish
ships. The order was given to " secure the
guns,'' which the men did with some grumb-
ling, particularly as old Bertie, mate of the
lower deck, had, under pretence that there
was going to be^^a desperate action, thrown
overboard a quantity of their plates and fur-
niture which took up an unnecessary degree of
room !

The " Patagonian " exchanged signals, and
bore up once more for Beyrout with the new
squadron. What a magnificent spectacle

SINGLETON FONTENOT, R.N. 315

was. There went the stately " Princess Char-
lotte/^ leading the way like a queen ! Lofty
line-of-battle ships attended her like barons
bold. The Turkish ships with the crescent
flying, and their gaudy sterns shining in the
sunlight, sailed steadily along in company.
And there was also near, the graceful and
brilliant corvette '' Dido," as beautiful as a
Nereid, worthy to have borne Cleopatra, — a
fairy of the sea ! For, of the creations of Sir
Wilham Symonds, this must be admitted,
(whatever be denied) that Ocean never bore
more beautiful vessels. No man with a spark
of fancy but must be charmed with his beau-
tiful brigs, particularly, whether in calm, they,
glide along the surface, sweetly and tranquilly
as the nautilus, — or in storm, dashing through
the waters, they recall the flight of the dove,
that bore the olive-leaf of old !

In the afternoon, the squadron anchored in
the Bay of Beyrout, and exchanged salutes.
How black and funereal looked the old castle;
how sunny the distant Lebanon! The country
was gay with colour. It seemed as though it
had gained by a charm the power of the
prism, and split every ray from that glorious
sun into separate gorgeous hues. The bay
was exquisitely calm. And prettily lay among

316 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

the large ships, fishing-boats of the coast with
their long yards and high prows.

" Mr. Fontenoj, do you see that line-of-
battle ship lying inside, with her broadside on
to the town V said Commander Modell, about
three o'clock.

" What, the dirty one, sir V^ said Singleton,
ingenuously.

Modell laughed. " Hush, Mr. Fontenoy ;
you speak too plainly, young gentleman. Re-
member, midshipmen and youngsters are never
allowed to express opinions. You have no
right to think.''

Singleton looked up in surprise, and grinned.

" Go on board her, sir," said Modell, with a
severe look, " to copy an order."

Away went Singleton in the first cutter,
and reached the line-of-battle ship in question.
She was a dirty one, beyond the possibility of
doubt, and Singleton, as he went on board,
wondered whether her officers were allowed to-
smell, or whether that sense was defendu, as
well as common sense generally. He found a
number of youngsters assembled at a wooden
table on her main-deck, copying an order into
their order-books. There was a most deficient
supply of pens and ink, and a lively conver-
sation going on. besides, so that the said

SmGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 317

copying was no easy operation. Singleton
secured a stump of pen, however, and bj dint
of dipping over a midshipman's shoulder, and
progging him in the right ear, now and then,
bj accident, got a little ink, and began the
task.

" I say,'' said a fellow from the " Ganges,"
*' the marines land to-night.''

" Do they, though ; what fun ! "

" We've got lots of shells ready," said a
little boy, from a war-steamer. " We'll give
it them ! " The speaker could not have lifted
a thirty-two pound shot if he had been offered
its weight in gold.

" I've got such a beautiful nargilly," said a
youngster, looking up from his writing, which
he appeared to find an arduous task.

" What, a hubble-bubble V said another,
using the more familiar name.

" Yes. The Turk I bought it of says it be-
longed to a Pasha."

" Very likely," said a midshipman, rather
drily.

" It's hard to draw !" said the youngster,
with a touching sigh.

" How the blazes do you spell * precipi-
tate V " asked an Irish youngster, eagerly,
which caused a general laugh. Here, the

318 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N.

officer of the watch sent down to the main-
deck, for these gentlemen to make less noise.

Singleton having copied the order, went on
deck, and ordered his boat to be called along-
side. While waiting for it, he saw a figure
emerge from the cabin, under the poop.
There was a sensation on deck, and mj hero
perceiyed, at once, that the figure was that of
a Great Man.

He was dressed in a rather seedj uniform,
and had an awkward stoop. His face was
eccentric, but expressed power. He crossed
his hands behind his back, and began to pace
the deck, with a gait that was as remarkable
as everything else about him. It was Ben-
bow, with a dash of Grimaldi !

The " Patagonian's" cutter was just coming
alongside for Fontenoj, when a small gig shot
between her and the ship's side. A young
man about twenty ran up, and came on deck.
He was in the uniform of a mate, but had a
straw hat on, with the word " Viper" upon the
black ribbon, in gold letters. His face was
most remarkable for its grave beauty, its
serenity, and its power ; and Singleton felt an
interest awakened by him, such as he had not
experienced for many a long day. His eye
dwelt upon him anxiously, as he accosted the

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.K. 319

officer of the watch. He perceived, that
though what he said influenced that gentleman
obviously, jet that some difficult j prevented
their conversation from being satisfactory.

" Who is he — what does he want V asked
the Great Man, stopping abruptly, and taking
a pinch of snufi;

'' Officer from the brig ' Viper/ sir," said the
lieutenant of the watch, touching his hat,
" come to speak about the stores for the Alex-
andrian squadron/' The Great Man fixed his
eye on him, looked at him, from top to toe,
inquiringly, and then said in his peculiar
accent, —

" Wall, sir— what is it 1 Speak oot."

The young man bowed very formally and
gracefully.

"I have the honour. Sir," he said, "to bear
a message from my Commander, — Commander
Tinsley of the ' Viper/ He desires me, most
respectfully, to submit, that the size of the
vessel makes it impossible for us to carry
the stores in question. We have not room,
sir." Here the young man bowed again,
and Singleton thought he had never seen so
much manly courtesy, or so fine a bearing.

The Great Man very deliberately pulled out
his snuff box, supplied his nose, and powdered

320 SINGLETON PONTENOY, R.N.

his coat as usual. Then he looked again at the
speaker, from top to toe, inquiringly, and spoke
as follows : —

" Wall, Sir. Ye will go baack to the * Viper,'
and ye will see Commander Tinslej, and je
will tall him je have seen me. And ye will
tall him that I oerder him to take these
stores on board ! And ye wuU tall him, that
if* he has no got room in the lower deck, he
must put them on the upper deck ; and that if
he has no got room on the upper deck, he must
fill his cabin with them. And he must stow
them in bulk in the cot where he sleeps. For
I am daammed^' (this was said with a wonder-
ful broad effect) " if they shall not go ! ''

As he concluded, the Great Man glanced to
see the effect this speech had on some of his
crew, who were gathered near the main-bitts.
For he was not above courting popularity in
various ways, this Great Man !

The young officer of the " Viper" bowed, —
as pleasantly as if he had been bowing in a
ball-room, — in reply to this address, and moved
to the gangway to regain his boat. Singleton
was near there, as he passed, and was again
impressed by his face. It had so much serenity
and power.

They were near each other, for a moment.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, E.N. 321

Perhaps it was the curiosity in Singleton's intel-
lectual countenance that arrested the stranger's
attention. He looked at him earnestly. Sin-
gleton felt impelled to speak to him. The
man who has never experienced that impulse
by which we seek the friendship of a stranger
from some un definable attraction — as inexpli-
cable as the influence of flowers or stars, yet
quite as certain — is himself a stranger to true
friendship, and still ignorant of the alphabet
of God!

" That was a strange speech you have just
heard," said Singleton, as the stranger paused
an instant on the gangway.

The Stranger looked at him. " Do you see '
my boaf? It has an ensign in it. It is a
piece of vulgar, ragged bunting — but all the
world honours it. Such is the force of
symbols ! "

He spoke, and ran rapidly down, and sprang
into his gig. In a moment, she was skimming
away.

Singleton followed, and presently gained his
ship. A signal had made all the squadron
alert. The marines were in heavy marching
order, and it was known that a landing was
to be effected. The town swarmed with sol-
diers, whose heads peeped every now and then

VOL. I. Y

322 SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.^.

out, in various places, and the gleam of whose
bayonets shone occasion ally behind wall and rock.
Evening was coming on. The purple twi-
light was coming. The air began to grow
fresher and sweeter. There was a rolling
sound — a volume of white smoke. The " Cy-
clops" was beginning to throw shells! Hissing
through the air went the shells — death sleeping
within them, till his proper hour. On rough
rocks — on fresh green patches, such as the
camel loves — on walls — and amidst green trees
— fell the shells. The Arnaut is fierce; but
who can stand against the fatal ball that has
a terrible death sleeping in its bosom, as
poison lies in a cup 1

Dusk came on. The marines, and heavy,
swarthy Turkish troops embarked on board
the steamers. There was a cape of land to
tlic south-west. The brilliant " Dido" glided
in^ very fair and very terrible, within a few
hundred yards of the rocks; with her, the
little " Wasp," small, but deadly as a scorpion.
Dusk became night. Lebanon retired be-
hind the veil of darkness, and was no longer
seen. The lofty figures of the men-of-war
looked gloomier and gloomier; but here and
there gleamed lanterns, just as you can fancy
fire-flies gleaming in a cypress grove.

SINGLETON FONTENOY, R.N. 823

Slowly rose the moon — a well of gold in the
heavenly desert! The light fell everywhere.
It enamelled the old castle ; it rested like a
smile on the face of the sleeping town. It
made the rocks of the cape visible, and there
were seen the enemy gathering on it, and
taking up a position, to resist the landing that
was to take place when to-morrow's sun rose.

Day came. The enemy were intrenched on
the cape. The steamers, loaded with soldiers,
were near it, and hovering ready to send them
to the attack. The fleet weighed, and spread-
ing out, as a huge bird spreads its wings,
formed a line.

The "Benbow" drew in to the cape, and
began to throw shells. The enemy clustered
behind rocks and walls. The shells fell in
among them, and scattered destruction every-
where. Death was playing at Proteus. There
was slaughter everywhere. But still they
rallied ; still they prepared to resist a landing.

Suddenly up flies a signal ! Away go the
steamers with their load of marines ! Away
goes the "Castor," — away goes the splendid
"Pique,'' brilliant "Dido," deadly "Wasp!"
The blue bay gleams with the white sails of
the flying ships — and the wind carries the
seeds of death elsewhere. 'Tis the catastrophe

y2

324 SINGLET01{ FONTBl^Oy, R.N.

of Oamaclio's Wedding over again. "A
miracle — a miracle ! No ; a stratagem — a
stratagem T

Without opposition, bj this device, the
forces were safely landed at Djouni and Dog
Jiiver, and the English flag hoisted on Lebanon.

In the evening, the " Patagonian's " mess
were discussing the events of the last twenty-
four hours, and the prospects of the war.

" It was certainly ingenious to persuade the
enemy that we were going to land on that
cape, and then to dart across the bay, ehl"
said Somers.

" Not much in it," growled Bertie.

" 'Twas a happy feint/' said Lovell, with
his spoony look.

"• It was a capital dodge," shouted Box.

" It was an admirable stratagem,^' said
Toadyley, who admired everything done by
the authorities, and who would eat any amount
of dirt, provided it was served in gold or china.

" Box has defined it best," said Lord
Clarion, looking up from a recent number of
" Blackwood's Magazine ;" " it was a capital
dodge!''

END OF VOL. I.

LONDON : PRINTED BY HARKISON AIO) SON, ST. MAETIN'S LANB,